Control is Everything
by dustori
Summary: [AU, MY FIRST NARUTO FANFIC]Sasuke is kidnap, along with other kids, who must fight for their lives. Kakashi, a young detective, must solve the case before the perpetrator claims another victim...or victims. WARNING,inside.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** As a new Naruto writer, I would like to say that I really like the outcome that I put forth into writing this story. I like how I add Drama, Mystery, and Thriller all in one. It sort of reminds me of the "Criminal Minds" series, I'm a big sucker for that show. I hope it comes across in this story as well.

First I like to give out the **warnings: **Cliffs, Children's death, mild violence, Mature subjects such as torture (very mild), and touchy subjects like- suicide and child abuse which may be extreme for some readers, but I don't go into a whole lot of details, so it is a pretty safe story. I just thought you as readers and reviewers should know. Plus, a big warning is that I have been known to have bad grammar. I hope some of you won't read because of that notion, itself.

I especially like the notion if you don't like it, don't read it. It really make sense.

This chapter is rated **T**

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Chapter 1

Cold Case Reopened: Part 1

Night fell over Konoha City. In the inner busiest part of the city, the streets were full. Police roam the streets watching out for any type of illegal acts. Hoodlums did business behind tall buildings, looking out for said police cars. Prostitution works were held in the dark street corners, near bars and inns. It once was a city clean of wrong-doing; it was a city filled with prosperity, but later, torn by lust, greed, and rage. No one was safe anymore, but that was how Kakashi Hatake saw it.

"I think I'm calling it a day," Asuma stretched in his desk chair. "I'm going home, what about you," he asked his friend and partner who was looking over some files on his computer screen. They've been in their precinct doing desk work since this morning, it was now late in the evening and Asuma found that he could not do another report or he was sure he would just drool all over it from fallen asleep every now and then. They were the only ones left in the building of Konoha Police Department, except for the janitor who would idly come by to greet them; he was use to them being there after hours, especially his partner.

Asuma finished his long stretch and looked over at his colleague, who was still looking over some files. _Sometimes his partner can be a workaholic_.

"Yo, Kakashi, did you hear me," he asked making sure he said it louder this time. There was a raise of an eyebrow as an acknowledgment that his presence and words were accredited. Asuma sighed and shook his head. "Okay, don't stay up too late; we're on duty tomorrow morning." He assorted his stack of folders off his desk and headed towards the back room, where they kept all files of criminal cases from rape, kidnapping, murder, etc. They even had a section made for some of their cold cases, assorted by years and names.

"Some of the guys are going to hit the bar across town tomorrow night, you in," Asuma asked while walking out of the back room. He straightens up his tie and unsnapped his shirt's cufflinks to roll up his sleeves. Casually putting his hands in his pants pockets, he walked over to his friend. They've been friends since their academy years. They had their spontaneous moments, their fallen-out moments, and their serious moments, but right now he didn't know what moment they were in. It had been like this, back two years ago after that day when… he didn't like to think about it. Those days were the tough ones and he knew it hit his partner hard…it was close to home after all. It hit him hard too, but he learned to cope with it and that was the only reason why he let his friend's way of coping not ruined their friendship.

"Yeah, I'm in," Kakashi spoke turning away from his computer to look at his partner. He falsely smiled and placed his arms behind his head while he leaned back in his chair. "I mean who can refuse the offering of free beer."

"Who said they would be free?"

"I'm not paying," Kakashi said, leaning further in his chair to stare up at the ceiling. He lazily watched the fan above spin, giving a tranquil atmosphere of what he wanted to feel on the inside. He looked away and eyed his friend and put on a smile.

"Okay, I'll pay but next time you'll be the one paying," Asuma said giving in.

Kakashi only response was a shrug and a sigh.

This felt awkward, them pretending like this. He knows Kakashi was pretending to make him happy or to just end the conversation, he wasn't so sure, but it wasn't the same. Kakashi had change the past two years, he was broody most of the time, he was never in the mood to spend time with his friends like he use to, it was…different, everything was different about him.

Asuma walked back to his desk to pick up his brown jacket from the back of his chair. He once again took a glance at his friend. He knows his friend wasn't going to show to the bar with their friends. He had stopping showing up every since that…. He felt like he should say something, but saying them now after two years would be pointless for right now, wouldn't it? He should have said them before, now would just seem so…late.

"Kakashi…about…you know … (sigh)… I'm …sorry."

There was a silence, a long uncomfortable silence and then Asuma left.

Kakashi hadn't move since then, thirty minutes had pass and he still found himself looking up at the ceiling fan again. His brows were crunched in the middle and his jaw was clenching so tight that he could have sworn he heard something crack.

When his watch went off, it signaled that it was twelve thirty. It was time for his occasional routine. He leaned forward and manually shut off his computer. He rubbed his hands across his face and through his silvery white hair as he waited for the screen to go blank.

Making his way to the back room, he hit the switch to turn on the ceiling lights. He made his way through the many walkways and to the further part of the room, labeled cold cases. He comes here almost every night to remember. It was his way of coping. To remember his failure of what he couldn't keep secured. He casually let his finger tips slide across the boxes of the forgotten cases, as he paced down the hallway with the letter "T" above it. He read the ones he knew from memory out loud until he came across the one he wanted…."Toreniki, Obito." He pulled the brown box from its shelf and carefully placed it on the floor. Pulling a stool from under the shelf, he always put there for this purpose, and sat down on it. With a sigh, he opened the box's cover and stared at its content. In it were files, pictures, reports, and names of suspects of the case of Obito's murder that he once was in charge of investigating. He let his emotions open; this was his way of coping. His failures of letting the ones close to him get killed and letting the murderer get away. He let memories rematerialize and rage surface. Rage of a certain killer, murderer who got away or by his standards, the one that played the law for a fool and got away. He promised too many people, that he cared about, that he would bring the murderer to justice and end their suffering, too bad it didn't turn out that way:

_Two years ago…_

"_We let him go," his chief, Tsunade said._

"_What do you mean you let him go?"_

"_We didn't have a whole lot of evidence on him and we could only keep him for so long, in holding, with the charges we indicted him with. It wasn't enough to hold him."_

"_So you're just going to let the murderer get away, is that what you are saying? He killed a child and you're just going to let **that** snake go free?"_

"_Kakashi this is the sole reason why I didn't want you involved. You're too close to this case."_

_That made him angry._

"_He was the last person seen with Obito. We have witnesses who seen him with him and…"_

"_And where are those witnesses, Kakashi," she asked her voice rising a little. "Where are those persons, you claim have seen him with the child, with Obito?"_

_Kakashi didn't say anything. It was obvious he didn't have any witnesses and if he did, with the lack of evidence and proof that they had, it would just be hearsay and that would not hold up in court._

"_We can't pin him to the murder, Kakashi. We only have your word and that's not enough, Orochimaru is going to walk, whether you like it or not."_

"_Yeah, well he's not going to walk for long when I'm through with him," Kakashi mumbled._

"_What was that," Tsunade requested._

"_Nothing," he whispered._

_He really wasn't going to do anything; it was just the anger talking. But if only he didn't promise so many people that… maybe it wouldn't hurt so much… he let everyone down, especially Rin._

_God, he let Obito's killer get away._

He picked up a photo of the dump sight, it was established during the case that Obito's body was dropped in the woods, he was not killed there. The area was damped and insects inhabited that Obito's body was covered with them. Kakashi didn't want to see his small body that way, cold, lifeless, pale… still. So many feelings were held in this one particular photo---sorrow, regret, anger…shame— it brought a swell to his chest and tears to his eyes. But he welcomed the feelings, he needed them and he wanted them to be his reason for living. They were his only reason for keeping Obito alive, at least until he catch his killer, and he _will_ catch his killer.

He looked through the rest of the items in the box for another half an hour or so, until he was content with his self and then and only then would he close the box and his emotions. Picking up the box and placing it back to its original place, he turned around and walked out of the room…shutting off the lights and closing the door behind him.

He picked up his jacket and threw it over his shoulder, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. On his way out of the precinct, he paused at the missing children billboard. This morning they found one of the missing children, his body was found in a wooded area some miles away from where he was last seen. He had been missing for a month and a half, there were no suspects. One of the detectives had to inform the parents of the tragedy, it was one of those days where one just didn't want to come to work and deal with people. Kakashi took the photo of the child off the wall and was about to throw it in the box, with the boy's name on it under the billboard when something in it caught his eye.

_Woods…age: 13…ligature marks around the neck, same as Obito's_, he thought.

It was a photo of the sight, the dump sight. _Could he have started killing again?_ It was just like Obito's… _woods, damped, and insects infested_. _Orochimaru_.

He looked at the photos of some of the children who were recently missing. _They…they all had about a couple of days apart from each other_. _It can't just be a coincident? _The first one being missing a week before the boy they found this morning. He, being a twelve year old, blonde headed boy, name Naruto Uzumaki. _Are they all connected?_

He took the most recent ones from the board and headed back to his precinct to the back room to pull out Obito's box. He then carried it and the missing children ads to his desk, where he turned on his computer.

The janitor walked by and saw that Kakashi was still at his desk.

"Another late night, eh, Kakashi," the janitor asked.

"Yeah, but one well worth it," Kakashi whispered back, but more to himself than the janitor, his attention was more on his task at hand, he might just have found a connection to reopening Obito's case and bring down his killer.

Chapter 1

Next Victim: Part 2

Cross the town, in the more peaceful part of the city, where people slept happily in their comfortable, safe homes, there was a car that pulled up next to a corner. The music was blazing and there were laughter on the inside. The back door opened and a young teenaged boy stepped out. He wore his school uniform, casually. The white shirt was hanging over his pressed khaki pants, his tie untied around his neck, and the black jacket with the private school logo stitched on it was hanging loosely over his shoulder. His book bag hung off the same shoulder. The driver's side window rolled down and presented a hand. The young man took it and they did an intricate hand shake.

"See you tomorrow," the person asked. Some of the occupants were laughing in the inside of the car.

The young man shook his head. His dark bangs swaying with the movement and the wind that just picked up.

He had snuck out of school this morning to hang out with some friends. He needed the freedom, he couldn't stand the school. Something his father thought would look good on his application or some cramp like that, but what did he care.

"No, can't, my parents are coming home. We're having one of those family get-togethers with the media who wants to interview my dad about his life and his success."

"Ouch, sound like a long boring day for you," the driver asked, mostly joked but Sasuke wasn't really paying attention. He was tired, he just wanted to go home and sleep the night and day away.

"Yeah," he dryly stated.

"Okay, well, see you whenever."

The window was rolled up, music blazed louder, and the car pulled off into the darkness of the neighborhood.

Sasuke sigh and turned around to enter his pleasant vicinity. He walked some distance, before he came before a gate, labeled Uchiha Condos and a security booth. Upon passing the booth, he noted that the security guard on duty wasn't in the booth. The small television was still on and the coffee on the desk looked fresh. Usually, the guard would make sure he was in the perimeter and would visually greet him before going around the Uchiha compound to do security checks.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders thinking that maybe he had forgotten or something. It's not the first time someone had forgotten about him. As he walked pass the booth, he didn't notice the blood stains that littered the floor and under the counter in the booth laid the security guard. His throat has been cut opened and the blood puddle around his body, eyes opened in terror.

Sasuke's father was a big time Realtor. He sold the most houses than anyone in Konoha City, more than his own father, Sasuke's grandfather. Yeah, Uchiha Real Estate was a family business, one that Sasuke didn't want to be part of but as fate has it, he would most likely be part of it. His brother would have been the next owner before him, but that also didn't go as planned, considered that his brother died and all. Sasuke didn't take it so well, there was therapy involved and transferring of public school to private school. His parents, well father, thought it would be for the best. Anyway, since the family business was doing so well, and his father became rich and everything, the news people thought a story about the infamous Fugaku Uchiha would make a great story, especially, a story about the whole family.

Sasuke walked down the sidewalk shaping the large compound until he turned a left and was met with a cul-de-sac. His house was the last one at the end, the big one with the balcony.

He opened the front door and was greeted with darkness. Taking off his shoes and dumping his stuff by the door, he made his way, through the dark, to the living room. He did this all the time so it was like second nature that he knew where the answer machine was and where the play button was. The usual beep came on and the voice activated:

"_You have one new messenge"- _his mother's voice came on. "Sasuke, something at work came up. I won't be home to make dinner, so…there are leftovers in the refrigerator if you want to heat that up…or you can call for pizza." There was a pause. "Okay…bye."

"_End of new messenge,"_ the answer machine stated and went off.

Sasuke sigh, _well at least **she** called,_ he thought, _and said more than six words… Love you too. _He made his way to the kitchen and turned on the lights. He looked in the refrigerator and found the leftovers. He heated it up in the microwave and made his way upstairs to his room, passing the kitchen's window doors that lead out to the backyard. He didn't notice the shadows that passed seconds after he did.

After he finished his late night dinner, he turned on his TV and watched some cartoons. Not twenty minutes into the cartoon did he fall asleep. It was a tiring day and he was going to need the rest for the so called family get together thing.

Down stairs, the kitchen's window doors cracked open. Two intruders entered and looked around. They weren't looking for things to steal; they were looking for a certain someone.

"Look around and make it look like a break-in," one of the intruder ordered. He had on everything black, from the hooded mask, down to the boots, but peeking from under his hood were a patch of white hair.

"I know, you just get the kid and _you_ make sure he doesn't get a scratch on him, O wouldn't like that," the second intruder stated also dressed in all black.

"You have your orders, I have mine," was the last remark, before the first intruder made his way upstairs.

The second intruder made it to the dinning room, and started dumping things on the floor. Plates and glasses broke on impact making a whole bunch of ruckus. He wasn't being quiet about it either; he knew what he was doing. It was merely a distraction to get the job down.

Sasuke woke to the sounds of noises coming from downstairs. _It sounded like, glass breaking._ He heard the noise again and sat up in bed. His TV had been turned off, due to the time set to a certain time to cut off. He jumped out of bed, and grabbed a bat from under his bed. It use to belong to his brother, but he didn't need it anymore. Sasuke made it to his door and turned the knob. The noise was still coming from downstairs so whoever it was hadn't made it upstairs yet.

He opened his door and peeked out the small crack. When he was sure that the close was clear, he exit his room and fixed his self against the hallway wall. The bat up and ready, he peered over the rails of the stair to glance downstairs. The noises were in the living room now, just when he was about to start down the stairs, a shadow jumped in front of him. It that instant, he swung the bat, missing by a hair, but he didn't stop swinging. The intruder would either block or jump out the way, but he didn't look deter. Sasuke didn't notice that the crashing noises had stopped and that the second intruder was making his way up the stairs.

"Gotcha," The second intruder grabbed Sasuke from behind, yanking the bat from his hand and putting Sasuke in a choke hold. "Hey, this one wants to play," The intruder joked.

Sasuke struggled with his attacker for a minute before he rammed his elbow into the intruder's stomach, causing his release. He ran downstairs, but a hand from behind pushed him. Losing his footing he stumbled down the stairs and on his way to the bottom; he hit his head on the floor, hard. It left him dazed and unable to move.

"He's feisty, no wonder O wants him," Sasuke heard one of them say as they made their way downstairs. The intruder that he was swinging at with the bat came up towards him and straddled his stomach. He then pulled out a syringe filled with clear liquid and tapped it a few times.

Even in his dazed state, Sasuke knew that whatever was in the intruder's hands was something he did not want to be injected with, so he began to struggle.

"Get off of me," Sasuke yelled, swinging a fist at the intruder who, once again dodged out of the way.

"Hold him," the intruder ordered the other one.

"Yeah, yeah," the other one said and he took Sasuke's arms and pin them above his head.

"Get off me," Sasuke yelled again.

"Shh, hush up now," the one with the syringe whispered to him. "I'm just going to make you very sleepy."

"Grrrr," Sasuke growled as he tried to break free from the holds on his arms.

The syringe was jammed into his neck and emptied. He struggled a little, but the effect of whatever was in it was working fast. His struggles became slowed and futile. He could feel his heartbeat slowing, his own muscles relaxing, and he could feel his self getting tired. The intruder above him released his arms as Sasuke closed his eyes and fell into a deep induced sleep.

"Took, you long enough, Kabuto. Makes me think that you like to watch them struggle," the one above Sasuke's head said.

There was a hidden smile from under the black hooded mask from the one on top of Sasuke's body. He stood up and dusted himself off of some invisible dust.

"You have no idea," Kabuto chuckled a little. "Now, let's bring Orochimaru his gift, shall we."

They placed the sleeping body in the truck of their car and drove out of the compound with no trouble at all. They finished their task, now it was Orochimaru who did all the work from now on.

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**AN: **I really hoped you like it. If you are confuse, don't worry, everything will be summed up in later chapters.

Updates for Chap. two will be given sometime next week. Other updates may get longer due to the fact that my college semester also starts next week.

I would like to see about seven or eight reviews, but I'm not picky (laughs).

Review, please and thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Hey, I forgot one thing to add about this story, some chapters would be of Flashback scene. It helps with understanding the story a little better and to add some **Flava **to the fanfic. They will, so you the readers and reviewers would know, have the (Flashback) next to the title.

I want to say this now, Kakashi may be OOC in this chapter. I thought I should warn some people of that.

I also would like to thank those who have reviewed, I really appreciate it. Also I would like to thank those who have read as well...

So Thanks everyone.

This Chapter is rated **T+ **

**Enjoy**

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Chapter 2

Obito, My Broken Promise (Flashback)

3 years ago….

He heard thunderous knocking at his front apartment door. Kakashi sigh, and turned over in his bed, taking his pillow and covered his head with it. He just got home from a long and hard shift; all he wanted was to go to sleep.

"Go away," his muffled voice called out to the person at the door. "I'm trying to get some sleep."

"Kakashi, open up, it's me…Rin," her soft voice called to him from behind the door.

Kakashi sat up in bed, he hadn't heard from her since that phone call, two days ago when he went to visited her. They were best friends and next door neighbors. He got up from out of bed in only his gray sweat pants and walked down the hallway to his door. He released the padlock and opened the door. Rin stood there in only her night gown and a trench coat. He could tell she's been crying, her face was puffy and her eyes were red. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, her head was down, covered by her brown-colored bangs.

"Rin…it's late. What are you doing here," Kakashi asked, opening his door a little wider. "Are you okay?"

She quickly shook her head a sniffle was heard afterwards. "I…I didn't know where else to go…I …" she finished there.

He stared at her for a moment, before he completely opened up the door, "Come in."

They sat on his couch for what seem like hours before she finally stopped crying and talked to him. She had explained that the phone call she had gotten two days ago was her mother, saying that her big brother was killed in a car accident. Both he and his wife did not survive, but their son, Obito survived with minor injuries. She then told him of her situation with her parents asking her to take care of him.

"I want to, really, I do, but…I have my own life planned out, I can't take care of a twelve year old boy…not by myself," she stopped to swallow the lumped that formed in her throat. "Does that make me a bad person, Kakashi? Does not taking care of my big brother's son make me an evil person," she started crying again. Kakashi took the clue that he should hug her now. She cried on his shoulders and would occasionally say a few muffled words he couldn't catch.

"You're not evil, Rin. You're just a woman who knows what she wants and now have to deal with something new. Who knows, maybe you'll like it. You might even have a lot in common." He heard her laugh but grown afterwards.

"What if it doesn't work out? What if we can't connect? What if …"

"What's with the 'what ifs,' Rin you're going to do fine and plus, you will have me."

She lifted her head then and stared at him, for the first time making eye contact.

"You will help me take care of him," she asked.

"Well, yeah. I never had a big family, so…I don't know; maybe this will be good for the both of us?"

She smiled, "Yeah, I guess so." She lean forward and gave him a big kiss on the cheek before throwing her arms around him and hugged him.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

1 year later…

"Noooo, you can't go up against Raiden with Johnny Cage," Obito debated.

"Why not?"

"Because they are allies, they can't fight each other. Haven't you seen the movies?"

Kakashi laughed at that and shook his head. "I'm afraid I missed the movie version."

"Pick someone else, pick…uhm…Scorpion, he's a bad guy. He's perfect to go up against Raiden."

"Why I have to be the bad guy," Kakashi asked amusingly.

"Well, I'm not being the bad guy," Obito stated and started the game, picking Kakashi's character for him when he wasn't looking.

"Hey," Kakashi blurted and started playing the game.

"Alright, you two. I swear if you two don't act like a bunch of four year olds. And you, Kakashi, shame on you, arguing with a thirteen year old," Rin said from the kitchen as she fixed breakfast. Kakashi just smirk, he was having fun teasing Obito. He couldn't believe how attached they have grown since he first met Obito. They sort of just clicked and the boy seemed to think of Kakashi as an older brother figure. Kakashi just saw him as a little brother he never had. They were inseparable.

The game went on pause, when Kakashi found himself losing.

"Hey, you can't pause the game," Obito argued.

"Sorry, kid, but I have to get to work," Kakashi got up from his crouch on the floor and stretched a little. He and Asuma were just promoted to being detectives in the Investigation Precinct of Konoha Police Department, which was a big jump in his career, considering him and Asuma were only twenty six, quite young for the department's standards but their Chief, Tsunade trusted in their abilities.

"What time do you get off," Rin asked coming out of the kitchen.

Kakashi seemed to ponder the question for a minute before answering. "Well, Asuma and I are just doing desk work, nothing too exciting. Why?"

"I have that job interview at the hospital, remember, and, well, it starts at two thirty and Obito doesn't get out of school, until three. I don't know how long the interview will take but if you can spare some time and pick him up after school that will be great."

"Sure, I don't mine. I can pick him up during another break."

Kakashi was waiting outside the school's parking lot. He had arrived a little late, only because Asuma and some of the detectives wanted to hear him telling the story of how he, one man team, took down one of Konoha's biggest drug lords, Zabuza Momochi and his accomplice, Haku. He tried to keep it short, but more people kept asking for the small details, the ones he obviously didn't want to talk about. So, now, here he was about an hour late and there was no sign of Obito. He was starting to get worried.

He parked the car in one of the reserved spot and exited his vehicle. He went into the school and into the administration office. He asked if they would page an Obito Toreniki. There, Kakashi waited for about seven minutes, before he got really worried. He stepped out the school to walk around the school's ground. And that when he found Obito outside in the track field with someone. An older man, looked around the age of late thirties with long black hair, hung loose in a ponytail, and had the whitest skin he had ever seen in his entire life. Just by looking at him, Kakashi could tell he did not like the man at all.

He could tell that Obito was laughing at something the man had said and that made Kakashi's anger flare up. No, he defiantly did not like that man.

"If you behave, I might bring you that video game I saw you eyeing the other day at my store," the hiss-like voice man said to Obito.

"Really, cool," Obito pause, looking a little disappointed. "But I don't have any money. How will I buy it from you?"

The man laughed, "Don't worry; I'm sure _I_ can think of something."

Obito smiled at that.

"Obito," Kakashi called his name as he made it within five feet of them.

"Oh hey, Kakashi. Is it three o'clock already," Obito said looking down at his watch. "Wow, four thirty. I didn't know it was that late," Obito continued looking apologetic.

"Don't worry about it; I was a little late in the first place. Hey why don't you go to the car, I think I want to speak with your friend for a moment," Kakashi informed, not taking his eyes off the pale looking man in front of him.

"Okay, bye Mr. Orochimaru."

_Orochimaru, huh. I wonder if we have a profile of him at the department. I will have to look that up._

"Mr. Orochimaru is it," Kakashi asked after Obito left around the corner.

"Yes," he said, a creepy smile still plastered on his face.

"Look, I don't want to be rude or anything, but how do you know Obito? Do you work at the school?"

"No, I run a little shop across from here. Some of the kids come after school to look over some of the stocks I have on sell. It's very successful, have you seen it."

"No, can't say I have," Kakashi answered.

"I ran into Obito, today when I saw him eyeing the new collection of a new game system," Orochimaru continued. "We got to talking and well, you know the rest."

Kakashi frowned. He defiantly doesn't like this guy.

"Well, Mr. Orochimaru, I will really appreciate it if you would stay away from Obito, especially without another adult around. I mean after all, you are a stranger."

"I see your concern, but…"  
"And you of all people should know that for the safety of Obito and all kids, you should stay away."

"Just I," Orochimaru asked a little taunt in his voice.

Kakashi's frowned deepened.

"Just stay away from him and there won't be any problems," After that Kakashi turned and left the field. He was furious to say the least; he would have to keep an eye out on that man, for Obito's sake.

Two weeks later Obito went missing. Thursday's night when Kakashi had to work late and when Rin had her long shift at the hospital. Obito was home alone. When Kakashi got off, he rushed home to check up on Obito, he does that every night, even when it was in the middle of the night. But when he stepped at his neighbor's door, he felt that something was wrong, no he sensed it. He took out he spare key and opened the door to find the apartment…quiet and normal. Nothing seemed out of place and the usual light over the stove was still on, like usual. He checked every inch of the apartment before he checked Obito's room. And when he opened the door, he found it…quiet and normal, as it was inside the rest of the apartment. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The bundle in the bed assured him that Obito was in bed. He walked over to it and sat on the end of the bed. When he went to place his hand on Obito, his hand touched something soft and fluffy. Pure terror went through his body. His heart quickened and he was sweating in that quick of a second that it took to pull the blankets from the bed to find, not Obito, but three misshapen pillows. In a panic, he checked the apartment again and then he checked his, just to make sure. He ran back to Rin' apartment and that's when he found it, the new game system Obito wanted. He had seen it when he stalked outside the little building; Orochimaru had said he worked at. He didn't see Orochimaru, nor did the people who work there every heard of him. His insight into the criminal system at work pulled up a negative on his profile; he was just an average citizen.

Two days later, he found Orochimaru at the school again talking to a little boy at the same place he found Obito with the guy. He didn't greet the man when he said hi and was not so gentle when he slammed him into the ground and slapped the handcuffs on him.

He was not kind when he interrogate him, of course his lawyer was there, and every time Kakashi would question Orochimaru about the whereabouts of Obito, his lawyer would interrupt and tell him that Orochimaru didn't have to answer. It angered Kakashi so that he attacked Orochimaru, gave two quick punches in the face, until his nose started bleeding, before Asuma and the rest of the Investigation Precinct had to pull him off of Orochimaru. Orochimaru was set free and Kakashi was given a two day suspension to cool down, but he never stopped searching for Obito, not even to rest. When he was home, he spent it with Rin who took it the hardest.

"Where could he be, Kakashi? They say it might be a runaway case. I can't lose him too," she cried on his shoulder.

"You're not going to lose him, I promise. I will find him and everything will be back to normal, you'll see," was all he could give her. Comforting words that really meant nothing until something was done.

He hated it that he broke that promise to her, because a month and some weeks later, Obito's body was found. He and Asuma weren't called though; they heard it on the department radio that a boy was found, dead in the woods. Kakashi left the department, in a quick hurry, and took off in the location that was given.

He saw his body…just lying there in the dirt, covered in it from head to toe. Insects of all kind were everywhere on his body, surrounding his body…probably in him too. He was sick, for the first time in his life…in his career; he threw up right there at the scene. He fell to his hands and knees and broke down. He cried, he screamed, he fought those who just tried to help him and carry him away, they, later, had to sedate him. It was later that day; he was at the morgue to identify the body. Rin couldn't do it, she couldn't even walk after hearing that her nephew was found dead. It was there, Kakashi learned how he had died….strangulation.

Orochimaru was free of all charges; it didn't make it to trial, there wasn't enough evidences and lack of elements to fit the crime. He went home to tell Rin and she was furious.

"What does that mean," she yelled at him. "How could he get away?"

Kakashi had nothing to say. He had failed at another promised. Earlier when he caught Orochimaru again, under the initial part of his investigation of Obito's murder an unknown witness claimed that they saw Orochimaru with Obito the day of his disappearance. That was enough to bring him in for another set of questioning, which Kakashi was not apart of, only to have him release in an hour or two.

"You promised me that you would find him," she turned her anger on him. "You promised that you would find his killer. You promised me, Kakashi…you promised," she yelled and screamed and she hit him a couple of times from rage, but he just stood there and took it.

"I'm sorry," he finally said when she had calm down some. She wouldn't even look at him and that hurt more than the words and the beatings he endured. "I'm sorry that I let you down…that I couldn't keep my promise, but …I…"

"Get out, Kakashi," she whispered. He probably wouldn't have heard her if the room wasn't so quiet. "I want you to leave, now."

He didn't argue with her, he wouldn't want to be around himself either. He just left and that was the last time he saw her. The following day he went to go check on her, only to find that she had moved out. Not leaving a note to tell him where she had gone to, but he had his suspicion that she went down south to her family. She needed their support more than anything.

Some months later, he was told to stop the case of Obito's murder, they were going nowhere with it. He was told if they didn't find the killer in the next three months of the finding of the body, it was most likely that they weren't going to find the killer at all.

He never stopped searching though, he still believes it was Orochimaru, and he wouldn't give up until he brought him to justice. That was his new promise…to Rin…to Obito. And he will uphold that promise, even if it took him years to do it.

* * *

**AN: **So what did you think? I really like this chapter because it gives an insight of how Kakashi really feels about Obito and why he is so determined in solving his case. I hope that came across when you read it.

Anyway be looking out for chap.3 to be up sometime next week or I could put it up a little early since I've written it already, I don't know?

Please Review, Thank you


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hey, here's another chapter. I really like this chapter, it's the best. It goes back to the present so this isn't a Flashback chapter, just so you know.

**Warning:** May be some OOCness in this chapter, implied sexual responses (don't worry, it's not that way...this is rated T, of course) and for you to read VERY CAREFULLY in this chapter...I'll explain more at the end.

Once again I like to thank those who have read and reviewed, although I would still like to see more reviews than reading, but you know, read and review...hehe, anyways.

This chapter is rated T++ for the implied part later in the chapter. Nothing serious though.

Enjoy

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Chapter 3

I Found Something: Part 1

"Five," Kakashi blurted out to his partner from his desk.

"What," Asuma asked caught off guard. He had just walked in to start his shift when he noticed his partner presence and he got a greeting that was a number. That's also when he noticed that his partner hadn't left work from the last time he saw him. He still wore the same clothes he had on yesterday. "You stayed up all night didn't you," he didn't know why he had to ask, he knew the answer. "Kakashi that's not healthy you know."

Kakashi just shrug his shoulders, "Here read this and I'll explain everything." Kakashi threw some papers on Asuma's desk and lean back in his chair.

With a sigh, Asuma sat in his desk chair and picked up the papers. He scanned them at first, to really just look over them, but after that he read them. He noticed some written in his partner's handwriting and some of others, ones he didn't know.

"What about them," he asked after reading the files.

"They are the files of the most recent missing children," Kakashi answered.

"Yeah, and?"

"And they are connected."

At first, Asuma was shocked. He read over them, they didn't seem one bit connected, besides the point that they were missing. But then the shock disappeared and Asuma guessed he knew what they were connected to. _Obito_.

"Not this again. Kakashi, look every case involving children isn't connected to Obito. Some are actually of the real stuff, like runaways, ransom, kidnapping," he lifted the papers of each case handed to him to slap them down on his desk to emphasize his point.

There was a sigh coming from Kakashi, he knew his partner would react this way, so he already prepared himself to prove him wrong.

"But if you have read them carefully, you would know that they are," he sat up in his chair to grab the papers off Asuma's desk and read each one. "The boy we found yesterday morning, he was reported to be part of a ransom, correct?"

"Correct," Asuma answered.

"Well on the day he went missing, the parents found a ransom note, neatly placed on their bed. They never heard from the criminals again after that. Don't you think that the perpetrators would want to keep in contact with the family, if money was really an issue?"

"Yeah," Asuma said, still a little skeptical about it.

"Then there are two here, the same, a ransom note, the criminals never heard from again. Then the next one, house was burglarized; child went missing the same night. Then the other one, a child had written a note to his parents, stating that he was running away and that they shouldn't look for him. When was it the last time that you had a case that a child would write a letter to their parents, saying that they are running away? It doesn't happen. Am I right," Kakashi asked.

"Yeah," Asuma doubtfully stated.

"And lastly, a kid from an orphanage, it was reported that the kid was sick that day and didn't feel well to go to the fair with the rest of the kids at the orphanage. He was gone when they came back, nothing out of place, everything seemed normal."

"Except for the kid being missing," Asuma dryly stated.

"Correct."

"Okay, some kids went missing during bad timing, how are they connected?"  
Kakashi lean back in his chair and smiled, a true smile, "They were home alone during the time of their kidnapping. It was just the kid; parents or other occupants weren't around. The scenes of the kidnappings were set up to throw the police off or to consider that the child was a runaway. And all of the children are around the ages of twelve to fifteen."

Asuma thought for a moment. What Kakashi had explained did make since. Kakashi explained it to the smallest detail, something he would have not noticed, even when the report and investigative notes were seating right there in front of him. He was beginning to believe; no he was certain Kakashi was on to something, everything was adding up. They were connected.

"Oh and another thing, they're all just like Obito's case."

Asuma let out a frustrating groan. Kakashi just didn't know when to quit until he had the person right where he wanted them and right now, he had Asuma right where he wanted him. Asuma was convinced, they are connected, but they can't go any further without the okay from their chief.

"Okay," Asuma said behind his hands that covered his face. "I believe you, but to go further into the case, we would have to tell the chief."

"I'm already ahead of you. I convinced her when she came in this morning; she gave us the okay and the help of two new recruits into the precinct. You remember, Kurenai Yuhi and Genma Shiranui. She said they needed the experience. We'll meet them later today."

Asuma just nod his head. Kakashi was his old self again, maybe this will do him some good… that's if they catch the kidnapper/killer or he would be back to the brooding, hating-the-world person he was yesterday. He didn't know if he could handle that part of Kakashi again. So yeah, he was convinced and he was determined. They will catch the person responsible for this and everything will be back to normal.

"Hey," a detective walked in the office, "We got another missing kid. Parents just called to report him missing. Anyone wants to take it."

Kakashi and Asuma looked at each other before Kakashi casually raised his right hand and said, "We'll take it."

Asuma just roll his eyes and grabbed his coat from behind his chair and he and Kakashi made it out the office to start on their new missing child case.

Chapter 3

Welcome to Group Therapy: Part 2

Kabuto carried the still unconscious, Sasuke, down the halls of an abandon asylum building in a deserted, isolated area in the woods. The place look about to collapse any minute now, but the walls were made of cement and hard tile floors. Mostly it was covered in cobwebs and holes caused by termites and creatures who wanted to find shelter from the outside. Parts of the rooms in the asylum were rebuilt, thanks to the help by him and some other followers. They had to in order to keep their captives in good wholesome condition. I mean who would want to stay in something rotten and moldy; Orochimaru wouldn't want that for his guest, now would he.

There was a moan coming from his captive in his arms, he would have to hurry, the sedative could be wearing off soon and he still hasn't showed Orochimaru to him yet. When he entered through the double doors that lead to his boss's made-up office, he was slightly surprise to find the gurney already ready and set for his new arrival.

"Put him on the gurney, I want to look at him," a voice said from behind a chair facing some screens on the wall.

Kabuto obeyed and set Sasuke on the thin bed. The chair in front of all the screens turned around to reveal…Orochimaru. He hadn't aged much from the two years he claimed to take a two year vacation, when truthfully, he had been near, planning on his next abduction and making a hideout for his work. He was thrilled to have found an abandon asylum to be his place of work and sanctuary.

He walked over to the unconscious boy. He felt the blood rush to every part of his body, he couldn't wait to break him, "How was he," he asked his right-hand man.

Kabuto smirked, "He was feisty, took us a while to subdue him. He fought us all the way until I sedated him. Is he to your liking?"

Orochimaru placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek and shivered, "Oh yes, he is defiantly to my liking." He removed his hand and looked over to Kabuto who was just seating in the corner, watching. "Dress him and take him down with the others. I wanted them to meet their new acquaintance." And with that, Orochimaru went back to his chair, turned it around and watched the screens. Kabuto nodded and picked up Sasuke to get him dressed. It was his idea that the children should wear something…_comfortable_ while they were their guest here. It seemed only fair that they provide that much comfort for the children.

After the changing, he took Sasuke down some stairs to the basement area of the asylum, another part of the building they rebuild to accommodate their doings. It was a nice look to the part of the asylum, perfect white walls, along with the floors. The rooms, there, were designed to keep noises in and they were soft and padded, so none of their guest got any ideas to do anything inapt. At the last door, he peered in through the small window in the door and noted that most of their guests were in the far corner. He opened the door with his key and walked in. The children inside, were startled at first, but seem to relax, but still a bit tense as they watch Kabuto walk to the other far corner to place Sasuke down on one of the many cots in the room. He then turned to the rest of them and smiled, "Make him feel welcome."

He left the way he came and locked the door behind him. The room was silent at first, until they heard a faraway shutting of a hallway door. That's when they all scurried over to the new occupant in the room.

Sasuke first noticed the smell before he woke up. It smelled like wet paint and cement. The next thing he noticed was that he was lying on some type of bed. The cushion was thin and he could easily feel the springs underneath, it was very uncomfortable. The other thing he noticed, were sounds, voices, actually.

"I wonder how long he's been out," a female voice asked.

"He might be waking up soon, they always seem to bring them in when the sedative is about to wear off," a male deep-voice answered.

It was then that Sasuke chose to open his eyes. The room was…white and padded. There was a small rectangular window in the middle of the wall next to him, but it looked too high for him to have to stand to look through it. He then noticed the other beds around him, then the other people also surrounding him. At first he was confused, _How did I get here_ and then he started to panic, just a little, _Where am I? Who are these people,_ and that's when he remembered. He was home, but he heard noises and then the intruders and then he was given something to knock him out. He sat up in the bed.

"Hey, you might not want to sit up so fast, you could still be affected by the sedative," the same female voice he heard earlier spoke to him.

He brushed the dizzy spell that came over him away and looked at the other people in the room. He become aware that they all wore white, white pants, white shirts, even white slippers. He looked down and he also noticed that he too was wearing the same thing.

"Where am I," he asked them. The group seemed to look over at each other, silently asking who would be the one to answer him. There were four of them, including him in the room, but six cots lined up against the walls, so he concluded that there might be one more, just missing. After about a minute, a blonde headed boy walked up to him and sat on his cot next to him.

"We don't really know where we are, we woke up in this room the same as you. First, it was me and this other kid, but I haven't seen him since after they came in here and took him two weeks ago, I think," the boy passed a little to think it over. "Then it was Kiba who came in after me," he pointed at the tall boy with brown hair next to the two girls. "Then there was Hinata," he pointed at the small girl with bluish black hair, timidly hiding behind the other girl in the room, "Then Sakura," he pointed at the pink haired girl, who waved, "Then Rock Lee, but everyone calls him Lee. And then there's you. My name is Naruto. What's your name," he asked calmly.

Sasuke took a moment to ponder everything Naruto had said. They were kidnapped; he understood that, there was no way they came here voluntarily.

"Sasuke," he finally answered.

There was a silence that filled the room. Everyone felt kind of awkward in their own way, but the dominated feeling was fear. Sasuke kept asking himself, why?

"He's a crazy man," Hinata said, her voice was soft and shaky.  
"He does stuff," Sakura added. "Not to all of us, just a few of us." She looked down, a sad expression on her face.

"The one who kidnapped us," Sasuke asked.

"Him and some others, they do things, like experiments. He says that it is for our own good," Kiba said.

Sasuke became uneasy; he was a little unnerved by what they were telling him. He wasn't sure if he should believe them or not, but from the situation and the seriousness on their faces, he had no other choice but to believe them.

Just then, there door opened up again and a boy was thrown in. The door closed behind him and they heard footsteps leaving their door and hallway.

"Lee," Sakura yelped and ran towards the fallen boy. He was unconscious and had burn marks lining his chest. Some salves were put on the marks, but other than that the wounds were opened to the exposed air. The rest of them, except for Naruto ran to help Sakura place Lee on the bed, nearest to the door.

"He says that Lee is always the deviant one and that he should be taught a lesson. He said that we all need to be taught a lesson," Naruto explained to him. He then left Sasuke to ponder more as he walked up to help the others with Rock Lee.

Sasuke felt his hands shaking; he had to admit he was scared. He doesn't know what 'He' has planned for him or the others, but he wasn't just going to seat here and let something happen to him. He would find a way out of here; he would make sure of it.

* * *

**AN: **What did you think, I introduce the rest of the children in Orochimaru's hand and the beginning of Kakashi and Asuma's investigation. Think they're going to find something similar at the Uchiha Compound?

Anyway, the reason why I wrote as a **warning** for you to read **very carefully** is because, I'm making this a **game **(this might get some of you to even review, just to play along). In this chapter and the ones after, there will be clues thought the story. Some will be obvious and some will be hidden. It is your job as the reader, to figure out, just **what it is that Orochimaru want with these kids?** Now, you may think that all the clues are just going to be in there with Kakashi's scenes because he's investigating the case, but there will be clues with the scene where Sasuke and the rest of the children are. Those are were the hidden clues are located. At the end of each chapter I will put how many clues were revealed and you, as readers and reviewers can make comments, ask questions, or make guesses using the review button, to help each other out. I wont give out the answer until a later chapter somewhere close to the end. I think it will be fun, what do you think? Review and let me know.

This chapter contained **three** obvious clues and **one** hidden clue.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Hey, sorry for the wait for the update, my intentions were to keep putting the chapters up every Thursdays but I forgot I had a chapter test for my online class and it look like they will always be on Thurs. so Fridays might be the usual updates for new chapters.

Anyway, I'm happy that you guys like the last chapter and the game that is involved in it, but I would like to see more reviews and involvement in the game. I only got two reviews who really guess at what Orochimaru's true reason for his plan. I can already tell you it is not involving experiments, it's more twisted than that... Oh, and it has nothing to do with being in a clan. Those who are with Orochimaru are just followers, i.e. Kabuto.

Here's a **hint**: Personality, the victims have their own personality, but they are connected in a way. Find that out and you know what Orochimaru is really doing. Plus, the title has nothing to do with it but Orochimaru uses it to... Oops I getting carried away, but I hope that helped out a little.

This chapter is Rated K, it's pretty much safe. But there are clues in it, just read carefully.

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Chapter 4

You Don't Know Your Own Son

Kakashi and Asuma arrived at the Uchiha compound within an hour and a half. It was huge, bigger than anything they ever seen, well beside from where they work, which was two story tall. But they never had seen so many big buildings scattered out in a secluded area before. They only lived in an apartment within the city, so they really never came up upon the outer part of the city. They wish they did, and then maybe they could have some place quiet to stay, maybe even safer.

"Wow, this place is huge," Asuma whistled.

"Yeah, the rich and the famous lifestyle," Kakashi joked.

They came to the open gates, where some officers were taping a crime scene and explaining to some people, who had gathered around to ask what had happened. It was the usual, so nothing really new to Asuma and Kakashi. They stepped out of their car when they found a place to park within distance range from the crowd and the scene.

They walked the rest of the way to the gate and entered.

"What do we have here," Asuma asked an officer who was taking pictures with a Polaroid camera stopped to talk to them.

"Uhm, we have a male, thirty-six, found dead at eight-thirty am this morning, by a jogger who lived within the compound. She's over there, being questioned by my partner sir," the young officer pointed at the woman who was being questioned and continued, "We believed he's been dead around late last night, but we won't know for sure until the coroner gets here."

"Is this connected to the child being missing," Kakashi asked.

"We don't know. We just know that at the same night, the child went missing in the same night that the house was burglarized and the security officer was presumed dead.'

"Burglarized," Asuma asked.

"Yes, sir. The family that reported that their child was missing was the same family that their house was burglarized."

Asuma looked at Kakashi, who only raised an eyebrow. _Could they both be connected to the others_, he was thinking.

"Thank you, officer. Keep up the good work," Kakashi stated and begin to walk down the sidewalk, looking at the note of the address for their case.

"So do you think they are connected," Asuma asked as he caught up with his partner.

"It sounds like it, and I bet the boy was alone when it happened too."

When they got to the house they were looking for, they rung the door bell. The door was opened by an old man in a suit. He had a worried look on his face, probably somebody related.

"Are you the officers here to find Sasuke," the old man asked.

"Yes, we are, I'm Detective Hatake and this is my partner, Detective Sarutobi. May we come in," Kakashi introduced.

The old man nod and open the door wider for them. "Sasuke's parents are in the living room, please excuse the mess."

They bowed to the man out of respect and walked in the direction the man pointed to. There they found the parents of Sasuke seating on the sofa, surrounded by all kinds of mess. The woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties, while the man looked to be around his early forties. They must be the parents. The woman had tears in her eyes but they never fell, she would just wipe them away or held them back…she was trying to be strong. Her husband had a firm look to him. There was no kind of sadness to his expression, just a grim look about him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha, I'm Detective Hatake and this is my partner, Detective Sarutobi. You called about your son being missing. Would you like to explain to us about what happened when you got home," Kakashi asked politely.

Mrs. Uchiha spoke first, "I got home first. I walked in and found that the house was a mess…all my priceless China and glasses were ruined. I called the police…to report it…when I remembered my son. He must've been really scared. So before I called…I ran to my son's room to find it empty."

Asuma wrote down what she said in his small notepad, "What time was that, Ma'am," he asked.

"Oh, uhm…I think around eight forty-five. I came in through the back gate of the compound; it's shorter to get to my house."

"Okay, thank you. And what about you, sir, what time did you get home," Kakashi asked.

"Around nine o'clock, I too walked in and found the rooms a mess. I then called the police to report it, and that's when my wife came downstairs to tell me that our son was missing," Mr. Uchiha stated plainly. Asuma wrote everything down.

"I see, do you know what time your son came home last night," Asuma asked.

There was silence, but Mrs. Uchiha shook her head, no.

"Do you know of any friends your son might have stayed with last night? It could have been that he got scared and ran off to a friend's house," Asuma continued.

Once again silence and Mrs. Uchiha shaking her head, no.

"Does your son play any sports at school; maybe he had a game to get to and forgot to tell you," Kakashi asked this time.

"Our son doesn't play any sports, not since his…brother… Anyway, he skipped school yesterday, I got a phone call from the school telling me that he skipped…again," Mr. Uchiha answered.

"What, how come you didn't tell me," Mrs. Uchiha asked.

"I didn't want to worry you, dear."

"But if our son was skipping school, don't you think you should have called me and told me."

"Not now, _dear_," Mr. Uchiha said firmly.

Asuma cleared his throat to get the couple back on subject, "So your son skip school often," he asked.

Mrs. Uchiha nodded her head, yes.

"So you don't know if he was even home to begin with," Kakashi made clear.

"Well…he must have because I had called to tell him that I…would be home late and that there was leftover in the refrigerator, but I…just got…g-got the answer machine," she begin to cry. She stopped suddenly, hope in her voice, "But I did find a plate of food in his room, so I know he was home and his school uniform was lying about in his bedroom floor," she stated.

Asuma wrote it down, as a note to be certain of; these people have no idea of anything about their son.

"Is it alright if we look around, maybe get a feel of what might have happened here," Kakashi asked.

"Sure," Mr. Uchiha answered. He got up and showed them around the house, mostly the part where all the mess was.

"Was anything missing, anything of value," Kakashi asked.

The Uchihas ponder that question for a moment and shook their heads. "Now that you mentioned it, nothing really seems to be missing, just most of our stuff seems to be broken, but mostly downstairs," Mrs. Uchiha answered.

"May we have a look upstairs," Asuma asked.

"Sure go right ahead, but please don't go into the room to your left. That belong to our eldest son, we keep that room closed," Mr. Uchiha said his voice a little softer than before for when it was much firmer and direct.

"Sure," both of them said.

They made it to the top floor and looked around the hallway. They found a bat on the floor to their right, next to the bedroom door.

They read the name on the bat that read, 'belong to Itachi Uchiha.'

When they entered Sasuke's room they notice that Mrs. Uchiha was right, there was a plate with some food left on it and some school uniform were spread scattered about on the room floor.

"So, do you think the boy was home at the time," Asuma asked.

"We can only assume, but for right now let just say that he was and this is now another case connected to the rest of the ones we got at the office, okay," Kakashi answered.

"Okay," Asuma agreed.

They left afterward, told the parents not to worry that they will find their son. They didn't want to tell them that he could be part of a case of a killer who has a thing for lonely children, not when they weren't even sure that it is was connected with the one they have now, but until then, the family would have to worry that their son was just missing. Not in the hands of a deranged psychopath.

When they made it back to the department, they were greeted with their new recruits, Kurenai and Genma. They met them before when they were in the academy and when they were just police officers in Konoha Police Department. It was just that Kakashi and Asuma decided to go for the detective division a little early than usual, so that was the only reason why they got promoted early, plus the fact that they were good. Not to say that Genma or Kurenai weren't good, just they chose to wait until they were good and ready.

"Hey, long time no see. How you guys been doing," Asuma greeted his old friends.

"Find and you guys? How are things," Genma asked his eye paying more attention to Kakashi than anyone. They knew about what all had happened two years ago through Asuma. Asuma always told them about everything between the two once he and Kakashi got promoted. They were the ones that helped him through when his friend was depressing, and since Kakashi mostly isolated himself from him and the group. Asuma needed someone to reach out to, that's where Kurenai came in, they hit it off for a good while, but things got complicated. They didn't have enough time to spend together or just, work got in the way, so they broke it off. They still remain friends afterwards, just sometimes they wonder what if. Now, Kurenai was newly married with a guy she became involved with a year back. She's been happy ever since.

"We're doing fine," Kakashi answered. "Did Tsunade fill you guys in on what we're involved in," he continued, mainly to get the subject off of him and to the one deemed more important.

"Yeah she did and we were happy to hear that we will be working with you guys," Kurenai stated.

"Good, well let's get you guys informed of our situation."

They moved away from Asuma's and Kakashi's desk to a cubicle in the middle of the office where a table was set up for when they had office meetings. It was also used for team meeting to discuss their plans. When everyone was situation, Kakashi pulled out the files and thumb-nailed them to the billboard on the cubicle's wall. The first photo and file was of Obito's, one of his missing photo ad and the other one of his crime scene photos and then of the boy they found yesterday, also with his missing photo ad and his crime scene photos. The following were of the other missing children in order from missing dates and their files. He put the photo of the Uchiha kid separate from the rest. They weren't sure if he was connected or not.

"Okay, let's get started," Kakashi said, once he put the photo up of the one that they got from the Uchihas of their son, Sasuke.

He and Asuma explained everything to Genma and Kurenai. They answered all the questions that the two asked and made sure that they explained everything plainly. Now they were striving for other clues to make connections.

"How does he know when they are alone," Kurenai asked.

"He watches them. Learns their routine, and strikes when he is confident that everything will go as planned. He is organized, I'll give him that," Kakashi admitted.

"Okay so you guys figured out his M.O.," Genma stated. "But, why do he choose these kids and why so many at once?"

"Desperation," Asuma attempted. "Maybe he wants to make up for what he missed in a two year time frame. Obito probably was his first kill, maybe this was his plan to begin with, we don't know, we just know that for right now, he has six victims all together."

"These kids are different," Kakashi said, looking at each photos carefully, "You can tell by looking at them, they all got different personalities, but there is something he likes about them. There is something that catches his attention, his reason for targeting _these_ kids." Kakashi ran a hand through his silvery white hair and looked towards his partners and friends. "We may need to re-question the parents and friends. We need to know the kids to know the man behind the kidnapping and murders."

They all agreed. They're first priority was to investigate the victims first. Then when they knew everything about them, then they will know the perpetrator.

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**AN: **This chapter was mainly of both Kakashi and Sasuke's past and life, well mostly of Sasuke's past and life, but there was some information on Kakashi and Asuma. I thought knowing a little about Sasuke's life will help you guys understand Sasuke a little better... who knows it could be a clue? (wink, wink). 

Oh just in case you didn't know, M.O. means Mode of Operation- a criminal justice term on how a criminal goes about doing his crimes. There may be a pattern the detectives find to connect cases.

This chapter had 1 revealed clue and 1 hidden clue. **Remember the hint: Personality**.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Hey, just want to say here is another chapter, hope you like it.

**Warning: **Mild Violence

Thanks for the reviews and ENJOY.

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Chapter 5

A Plan of Action

From what Sasuke could tell, he's been here in the asylum for two days now. He learned almost everything from the groups he's with. Naruto and Hinata were the youngest, being twelve years old, and then Sakura at the age of thirteen, and him, Kiba, and Rock Lee, being the oldest of the age of fourteen. They were feed three times a day of small portion of food, Sasuke was very suspicious of it at first, but when he saw that the rest were okay with their food, he begin to eat his too, and it tasted awful. They were also given bathroom breaks, three times a day. They were to go two at a time; they always paired him up with Naruto. He found out that Naruto also share a cot on the same wall as he did. He grown use to the boy's company anyway. Since he's been there, they had never taken him out of the room to meet the man behind all of this, besides from bathroom breaks, but to actually meet the man, he never had the obligation to do so, not that he would want to or anything, just, they always seem to take Lee. He wondered why. What did Lee do to be picked out of all of them? He was going to find out.

When they got their morning breakfast, he sat down next to Lee. He was baring new wounds around his arms, they looked like rope burns, but he could be wrong.

"Hey," he started.

Lee looked at him for a moment and then answered, "Hey."

From there, Sasuke was stuck, he never really thought about how to actually ask him what they did to him and why, but there he was.

"So what did you do," it came out plainly and almost desperate, but it got a reply.

First, Lee just looked at him, and then he lowered his bowl and looked down.

"I don't really know what I did to be picked out of everyone? All I know is that afterwards, he tells me that the others will be easy to break. He said that he had to break the stronger ones down first, and then he will get the rest," he stopped there.

"What does he mean by that," Sasuke asked.

"I don't know, but he must going to come after the rest of us soon, because I don't think I can handle it much longer. I can't go through it again…it's too painful," Lee started to sob. He leaned his head on Sasuke's right shoulder that tensed and Lee began to sobbed, loudly.

"Lee," he heard Sakura say. She walked over to them and sat next to Lee. She rubbed his back to sooth his cries away, but it seemed to only make his cries worst. The rest came over and tried to sooth Lee as well. They, after all, been here a lot longer than Sasuke has so, he guessed they were use to the boy breaking down and all.

"Don't worry, Lee, everything will be alright," Naruto said.

"Yeah, everything will be fine," Kiba offered beside Naruto.

"We're here, all of us," Sakura insured.

"Y-yeah, we're here to support you," Hinata provided.

Lee seemed to calm down after that, but he still hiccupped a few times. He wiped away the free tears and appeared to be a lot stronger than what he'd looked like a few minutes ago. Sasuke only guess was that it was the support he was given by the group. In the meantime, Sasuke looked at his surroundings. He had pulled away from the group, he got what he wanted, an answer of why they were here. _The man responsible wanted to break them…but of what…_ he thought. He looked at the window above his bed. It was small and rectangular; maybe he could get a good look at what his surroundings were like. There got to be some form of life outside these walls.

He stepped onto his cot, and tried to peer through the window, but it was still too high. He tried his bed post for leverage but it still didn't get him high enough to look through. He looked around him until his eyes landed on the group.

"Naruto, is it, come here…I need you to do something," he called out to the group. Naruto was confused at first, but he chose to head over to Sasuke anyway.

"What is it, what do you want me to do," he asked.

Sasuke stepped off his post and stepped off his cot, "I need for you to climb on my back so you can look out the window."

"Why would you want to do that, there's nothing but trees out there, we looked already," Kiba informed. "What can you see that we already have seen?"

"Just trust me on this," Sasuke countered. "Naruto, you ready?"

"Yeah, uhm…sure," Naruto nodded and stepped on the cot with Sasuke. Sasuke got on his knees and instructed Naruto to climb on his back and put his legs over his shoulders.

When he and Naruto were situated, Sasuke stood up precariously and angled them to the wall.

"Can you see anything," Sasuke grunted when he was on his tiptoes.

"Yeah," Naruto answered. "Uhm, I see trees, lots of trees…"

"See, I told you," Kiba enlightened.

"Can you see anything, beyond the trees, like maybe some buildings, or roads," Sasuke asked, ignoring Kiba.

"No…I can't see any of those things….But, wait… I think I see a fence, a tall fence. Is that something," he looked down at Sasuke, who nodded his head, yes.

Slowly, Sasuke lower them down until he was on his knees again and Naruto could climb off his back.

"So there's a fence out there, what does that got to do with anything," Kiba asked.

Sasuke sat on the edge of his cot and smirk, "Nothing really, but it could be useful."

There was a confused silence between the teenage captives as they waited for Sasuke to explain.

"The fence is obviously there to keep whatever in, in and to keep whatever out, out. Whatever's out there has to be where others people are, if we get out of here and beyond that fence, I bet we can get help."

"You think we didn't think of that already," Kiba argued. "You think we just sat here and did nothing and not plan to escape. We tried and nothing works, we can never leave this room. Face it, whatever you are planning won't work, we're stuck here and you know it." And with that Kiba left from the group to go set on his cot. Hinata feeling sorry for him, because they tried, Kiba made up so many plans to try and escaped this room… and nothing worked. They were stuck here, and Kiba had given up many attempts ago, she knew how he felt and this new kid, Sasuke, will know soon enough. Kiba was just trying to stop him before he gave everyone hope again, and then have it crunched again out of disappointment. She scooted over toward Kiba and placed a small timid hand over his and smiled, that always cheered him up a little.

"Thanks, Hinata," he smiled back at her. She just blush her appreciation.

"You obviously didn't try hard enough," Sasuke said after a full silence after Kiba's outburst.

Everyone looked at him for more explanation. They watch as he casually walked over to the unoccupied wall and hit one of the padding. A square piece loosened and there was an opening under it. A gush of wind smoothly ushered into the room and everyone gasped.

"I found it last night when everyone was asleep. I was trying to find a comfortable spot to lie on and considered the floor over here. When I went to lie down I felt a breeze, small, but there. I saw the small crack in the cushion wall and pulled on it. This is how far it gave way, but I think if we work together, we can get it open and escaped. But…" Sasuke casually stated but left the opening there for someone to ask…

"But what," Sakura asked.

"We all can't go. It's better if one or two of us go and get help, but all of us at once would be sloppy and it would take too much time for us to wait for all of us to climb over the fence."

"But if we leave the rest of us here, who knows what will happen," Lee informed.

"It's either stay here or wait for someone to find us, which probably will take days, months even. Or we can have someone get help and have help find us faster," Sasuke made clear.

No one had anything to say. Desperation spoke loud and clear that this was a good plan, but was it worth it, yeah… it was, but was it the safest? One or two go get help while the others stayed and wait, and maybe suffer from it as well. No one was sure of what to do.

Not until one person spoke up.

"I think that is a good plan," Lee whispered. He had his head bow as though he was still uncertain but when he lifted his head up and puffed out his chest and nod, boldly, "I think we should go with the plan. The faster we get help, the better."

Everyone was stun, but smiled afterwards. They all saw the hope in his eyes, something, out of the few weeks they've been there was gone for a while. If he had hope then the rest of them had it too.

"Okay," both Sakura and Naruto said at the same time.

"Alright," Hinata said behind her hands, but a confident smile was there behind it.

"Yeah, I'm with you," Kiba gave in.

Sasuke nodded his head to agree in his own way, "Alright…now, who gets to be the two to go out there and climbed the fence?"

There was a dead silence, no one could fill.

They all grabbed around the square cushion on the wall to pull it off. It took three strong pulls to actually have the square shaped pad come off.

They had decided who would be going. Sasuke, because it was his plan and they felt he should do the honors of doing it and Kiba because he was the only one to offer. Lee offered to stay and protect the rest of their group, he said that he could handle it and he didn't want to see anyone else get hurt. Naruto had offered to be the one to go outside but Sakura had convinced him that the girls would need another 'man' to protect the group. He agreed and offered to stay with the group. This new plan put everyone in a good mood. They had their hopes again and it felt good to actually have it restored.

After they had place the pad, carefully, on the floor, they looked into the hollow hole. It was an air vent, a large air vent. Another gush of wind blew through it and slickly blew into their faces.

"See, when I felt the wind last night, I thought that there must be an open to the outside," Sasuke explained plainly. There were a moments of content 'Oh's' and nods from the rest of the group, they understood.

Then the moment of good moods were broken as everyone pulled away from the hole in the wall to look at the two that would be going for help. It was scary because they didn't know what could happen while they were gone or if they would see each other again, but they knew that this had to happen in order for them to get rescued.

"Well, then," Kiba started.

"Yeah," Sakura sadly smiled.

"See' a when we see' a," Kiba tried to get the happy mood back, but the end result was a hit on the shoulder from Sakura and a groan or two from Naruto and Lee. Hinata just blushed and sighed, sadly. Everyone moved around Kiba and gave him a hug.

"We should go before they serve the lunch around, that should give us at least two hours," Sasuke told the group. He didn't do the mushy stuff, not in a long time, it brought back memories of his brother and him, but that was a long time ago. He didn't want those memories again. He was about to climb in the vent when he felt a hand place on his shoulders. He turned to find Naruto's hand there.

"You…be careful too. I know we didn't know each other that long, but…everybody needs a little encouragement here and there," Naruto smiled sheepishly and hugged him. Sasuke tensed and awkwardly tried to hug him back, seriously memories he just didn't want to remember.

He pushed Naruto away and climb through the vent, he crawled a few feet into the vent and turned around to find Kiba climbing behind him. "Close up the wall behind us, we don't want them to know how we have gotten out, if something should go wrong," he yelled to the ones still in the room. They nodded and when Kiba was completely in and a few feet into the vent they reached down for the piece and placed it back onto the wall the best they could.

"Do you know where you are going," Kiba asked after they did varies turns in the vent.

"I'm just following where I feel the wind, it should lead us to an opening somewhere," Sasuke answered.

"Great, we're lost," Kiba complained.

With a sigh, Sasuke stopped himself before he rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, I think we're close." He didn't really think his plan all the way through, he just saw the opening and took it, it was impulsive. Now that he thought about it, he could have thought a little more about his plan in the beginning, but he was desperate to get out of the place. He had no idea what the person responsible was going to do to him or the others and not knowing was something he did not like. No, this had to work, it just have to.

They found the opening, it was blocked by a small metal fence, but with two powerful kicks the fence was gone. Sasuke crawled out onto the open field before the building. He looked around and noticed that the place was huge. It also looked ancient, with all things considering that it looked like no one had used it in years. The lawn was covered in weeds and vines and there was a water fountain in front of the building that was also covered with shrubbery and moldy water. If someone did happen to come upon this place they would sure to find it creepy and unoccupied.

When Kiba was out of the vent, they made a run for it to the woods surrounding the place.

"I see'em," Naruto said from his perch up on Lee's shoulders, looking out the room's window. They cheered for them to make it while Sakura and Hinata was seating on the cot next to Naruto and Lee. They were holding hands and Sakura was feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

"I've should have said something earlier. This doesn't feel right, it's too easy," she said to herself, but Hinata was listening and she too was becoming uneasy.

"I-I'm sure they will be a-alright, Saku…"

A noise from inside the building cut her off. Naruto and Lee must've heard it too because they looked towards Sakura and Hinata for answers.

"What was that," Naruto asked.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."

The noise sounded again and this time it sounded closer. It sounded like cell doors being opened and closed, forcefully.

"That doesn't sound good," Naruto said and turned his head back to the window and started pounding on it. "Kiba…Sasuke, turn back, something's happening. Sasuke…Kiba," Naruto yelled at the window. "There too far, I don't think they can hear me."

He looked to Sakura with a worried expression. "What do we do," he asked her. She had nothing; she was on the verge of tears when she realized everyone was looking at her.

"I don't know," she covered her face with her hands. "I don't know."

Naruto looked down at Lee, who at the same time looked up at him. Naruto felt him shrug his shoulders; he too had no clue of what to do.

Naruto turned back to the window and could see his friends almost at the fence. He closed his eyes and prayed that something bad won't happen. _Please_, he thought, _please let everything be okay, don't let nothing bad happen…please._ He looked up to see his friends reach the fence.

"We're almost there," Kiba shouted as he ran ahead to get to the fence. Sasuke was right behind him…when he felt something inside of him telling him to stop. He stopped, instantly and looked back at the building. _It doesn't feel right_, he told himself. He looked back at Kiba to see him just inches away from the fence. In doing so, he caught something on the fence. It was white with words on it. It didn't take him long to figure it out, nor did he have to finish reading the sign to know what it was warning him of.

"**KIBA**, stop, don't touch…."

It was too late; Kiba had already leaped up to climb the fence. He didn't get far when he felt the high voltage zap through his body. For some reason his hands didn't want to let go of the wired fence. He tried with as much thought that he had while being continuously zap with electricity going through his body.

"Ahhhh," he yelled, his only cry for help.

Sasuke figure he only had two seconds to figure thing out before Kiba was toast. He looked around for anything that could help him get Kiba off the fence.

_Nothing._

He thought for a moment longer, he had no other choice.

He ran up behind Kiba and grabbed around his waist to pull him off. He felt the electricity bolt through his body, but he was grounded and the shock didn't hurt as much, not like how Kiba was feeling it. With one pull and a spark or two from the fence once Kiba's hands were free, they found themselves lying on the ground, tired, on fire from the inside, and a bit shaken. Sasuke was the first to recover. He looked down at Kiba, who was breathing quite heavily and had burns all over his hands. It looked bad and Sasuke had to look away for a minute.

"Kiba, you okay? Can you hear me," he shook Kiba's shaking body for a little.

Kiba groan and opened his eyes.

"Can you move," Sasuke asked already picking himself up and examining his burn wounds. He reached down to help pick up Kiba when he grunt a yes and tried to get up from the ground.

"They're okay, they're getting up…they're okay," Naruto yelled to the group. He'd seen everything and was scared the entire time. _Kiba look really hurt_, he thought as he watched them pick each other up.

They all heard Kiba scream and at the same time the lights in the hallway and their room flickered off and on. Sakura and Hinata covered their ears when they heard the shriek coming from Kiba, they couldn't stand the way it sound…filled with pain and suffering.

Lee kept whispering to the group that it will be okay that they were going to make it. He repeated it over and over. Now they were just waiting there, quiet, listening to Naruto as he described Sasuke and Kiba's every move. But that didn't last long, because they heard that noise again. The sound of cell doors opening and closing…and then something else:

_Dogs._

"Put your right arm around my shoulders, Kiba," Sasuke instructed Kiba. "We have to…"

He heard a sound of something opening. Kiba must've heard it too because he lifted his head to look around.

"What was that," Sasuke asked more to himself than to Kiba.

Another one of those sounds and then dogs barking. They tensed as it struck them of what was happening or what was going to happen if they just stood there.

"Move," Sasuke yelled as he ran and tried to carry Kiba at the same time. He didn't know where the dogs were coming from. It sounding like they were coming for every angle he turned to. Then he remembered the vent, he had to get back to the vent.

Kiba was falling unconscious fast, all his weight was lean on him making it harder for them to reach there destination.

"Kiba, you have to try and help me here…I can't do all the running for the both of us."

Kiba groaned but he did move his feet a little to help Sasuke run a little faster.

_They're almost there_, Naruto thought. He could see them reach the building.

_We almost there_, Sasuke thought as he could see the vent just a few feet away from where they were. _Almost there, just a few inches more._

"Ahhh," Kiba scream and Sasuke's grip on him was yanked away. He turned around to see a rottweiler pulling on Kiba pants leg and biting into his leg. "Get it off me," Kiba yelled at Sasuke. Sasuke picked up the fence that was covering the vent opening and hit the big dog across the head. It didn't back off, it just growl and bit down harder into Kiba's leg. "Ahhh."

Sasuke took the small fence and was just about to hit the dog over the head again when another rottweiler jumped from behind him and took his arm. A sharp pain shot up his arm as the dog twist his arm to yank it towards the other dog next to it. He held a scream that threaten to leave his throat when another dog came and took his right leg. He tried using his free hand to hit the dog on his arm, off, and he tried his left leg to do the same to the dog at his taken leg. But they wouldn't let go. Suddenly, he looked over to his right to see more dogs approaching…about five of them. They raced over to get over to their other companions as they saw their victims as tasty treats or one of their pulley toys to play with. They love tearing does apart. Before impact, Sasuke closed his eyes and hoped that he loss consciousness before he felt the insufferable pain.

"_AAHHHHHHHH."_

Naruto saw the dogs heading for his friends; he just chose to look away before he saw the actual scene. He placed his head on the edge of the window sill and cried. He could only think of what this could lead to, now. They weren't getting out of here; they probably weren't going to see Kiba or Sasuke again. They were alone and they couldn't escape this place, it was confirmed. They were going to die here.

"_AAHHHHHHHHHH." _

They covered their ears as they heard their friends' screams from the outside. Yeah, they're defiantly going to die here.

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHH."_

_

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_

**AN: **To let you know no animals were actually hurt in this making of this fanfics. Oh, and there was no character death in this chapter, don't worry there will be more Sasuke and Kiba.

Yeah, you got some information about the victims (hint, hint) in this one. There age is not part of the clue so don't worry too much about that, I just put that there so you guys would know how old each characters were. I thought Sasuke's and Naruto's interaction was cute even when Sasuke was being a little stand-offish towards him.

In this chapter there was 2 hidden clue, no obvious one unless I missed one or forgot. If you think you know where one obvious one was let me know.

Please Review, Thank You.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **Hey, everyone, here's another chapter. Unfortunately, this is a flashback chapter so you would have to wait until next chapter to see the outcome of Sasuke and Kiba.

This chapter is a look at the interrogation scene mentioned in the flashback chapter of Chapter Two: Obito, My Broken Promise (Flashback). It is set after Obito went missing and Kakashi brutally arrested Orochimaru and brought him in for questioning. If you don't remember, reread chapter 2.

I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed, I really appreciate it. It helps me to continue to write this fanfics (A tear rolls down left cheek).

**Warning: **Mild Violence and Bad Language (Cussing on Kakashi's part. Shame on Kakashi, tsk tsk)

**Hint: **Here's another hint: Sakura and Hinata expresses **IT**. This will help in finding out why Orochimaru chose his victims. Look out for other hints in later chapters.

I **Rate** this chapter **R**.

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Chapter 6

Interrogation (Flashback)

Kakashi sat in the opposite chair, across the table from where Orochimaru sat. He had read him his Miranda Rights before he brought Orochimaru into the department for questioning; he at least had enough sense to follow the rules before he carried out any further impulsive actions. But now, Kakashi wanted nothing more than to beat his deadly pale face into million of pieces. Orochimaru just sat there, so calm and collected as he stared back at Kakashi. It was an interrogator's move… to stare the suspect down, to make them uncomfortable so they would be willing to make a quick confession. It made Kakashi even angrier that Orochimaru was out-doing him in the intimidation department.

Orochimaru smirked, like he knew exactly what Kakashi was thinking.

God, Kakashi wanted so badly to wipe that smirk off his face.

The small room door opened and in walked a young man in a black suit. His long white hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and he wore glasses with black rims.

He took one look at Orochimaru and saw the scrape mark under his client's chin from what he could only assume happened when he was arrested.

"I'm holding this department responsible for my client's injuries," was the young lawyer's reply. He sat down next to his client and emptied his briefcase; he pulled out some papers and placed the briefcase down on the floor between him and his client.

"Alright let's begin. My name is Yakushi. Kabuto Yakushi, but you can call me Mr. Yakushi, Mister…" Orochimaru's young lawyer trailed off.

"Kakashi," Kakashi just answered, he really didn't like the formals of proper names, so he just went with his first name. Plus, he wanted Orochimaru to know who he was dealing with. He added a frown to emphasize he was no one to mess with and as a warning for what was about to come.

There was a smirk from Orochimaru's end.

"Orochimaru, two weeks ago, you spoke with a boy at the Konoha Middle School. The boy's name was Obito Toreniki. Is that true?"

"Hhmm," Orochimaru hummed as he rubbed his chin to ponder the question over. "Let me see, two weeks ago…Ah yes, I do remember. What a fine young boy he was," he ended the calm statement with another smirk.

Kakashi's frowned.

"What were you discussing with the boy," Kakashi asked.

"I don't see what 'they were discussing' have to do with you questioning my client about a boy who has gone missing," Kabuto commanded. "I suggest you stick with…"

"What they were discussing has everything to do with the missing boy," Kakashi interrupted, his patient was running thin. "He is connected so it is only relevant that I ask him these questions."

There was a moment of silence before the lawyer agreed to continue.

"Well, we discussed a lot of things; school, friends, family, the usual, kid stuff. I told him about the game system he was eyeing at the store I saw him peeking through the window."

"Speaking of stores, you don't work at the shop you mentioned earlier in our conversation two weeks ago, I've checked," Kakashi informed.

Orochimaru did a small chuckle before answering in a sly voice, "I'm sorry that you miss took my wording, Kakashi, but I think I specifically said that I ran a shop, I own it…I don't work there."

"If that's so, how come none of your employees heard of you," Kakashi countered back.

"The world of business has no time to see every employee, I'm a very busy man, and it's not on my to-do-list to meet employees."

"I see," Kakashi wrote his statement down on his notepad, he couldn't get a recorder to record the interrogation since it was just for a potential suspect, but he could write little statements here and there on what the suspect said.

"Oh yes, we did discuss some information about his family timely death that year ago…how tragic," Orochimaru said out of the blue.

Kakashi stopped his writing to stare up at Orochimaru. Obito never spoke of the incident with his parents, not openly, and defiantly not with strangers. He preferred to keep his memories, happy, thinking and talking about it only made him sad. And Kakashi knew, because he tried talking with Obito about how he felt about his family being gone.

"_Obito, how…do you feel about your family being gone?"_

_Obito stopped playing his video game; he put it on pause, and stared down at the floor. He seemed to be thinking it over._

"_Sad, sometimes I still cry over them," he answered shortly after a moment of silence._

"_Ah," Kakashi figured he would be._

"_But…I think about it and I know they wouldn't want me to stay miserable all the time, they would want me to be content…and I believe that, and it makes me feel better."_

_Kakashi didn't know what to say. At first, he thought the boy was still in the denial stage, or some form of it, somewhere in between denial and acceptance of love ones' death. Then he thought how wise the boy just sounded and the thought 'where was he when my family died,' crossed his mine, 'I could have needed him then.'_

"_They would want me happy," Obito repeated. "I'm happy knowing that I'm making them happy by just being happy," and Obito gave him the biggest smile he has ever seen from the boy. "And plus, I got you and Rin, that's all I need…, for now."_

"_Okay," was the only thing Kakashi could say at the time._

"_But, it still hurts to talk about them sometimes. Let's talk about this when I'm ready, okay." He stared at Kakashi like he was ordering him. And Kakashi knew…he was still hurting. He would have to tell Rin, it was her idea that he should talk to Obito about how he felt about the whole thing._

_The moment continued in silence, until Obito pressed the button to start the game again._

"_You want to play, Kakashi, I'm sure if you behave, I'll let you win a few times," Obito teased._

_Kakashi picked up the free controller and nodded, "Sure."_

"What," Kakashi snapped out of his musing to asked Orochimaru.

"The boy looked so sad when he told me," Orochimaru slyly said.

And Kakashi saw it. It was in his eyes…elation. He had no compassion, yeah he made his face look the part, but his eyes told another, excitement.

"It is a shame how tragedy can strike someone as young as the boy," his voice sadly spoke, his eyes laughing with glee. "He even cried when he confessed to me," he finished. The corner of his mouth was twitching, he wanted so badly to smile, maybe even laugh.

_He has him_, Kakashi thought, _He has Obito, I know he does_.

"What did you do with him," Kakashi's anger rose as he ordered Orochimaru to answer. "Where is he?"

"My client doesn't have to answer that," Kabuto turned to his client, "You don't have to answer that." He turned back to Kakashi, "Where's your proof?"

"He's all the proof I need, now tell me where is Obito," Kakashi was yelling now. He was becoming furious and the more he looked into Orochimaru's eyes, laughing, he became even more furious.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Orochimaru innocently answered.

Kakashi crossed the table and fist his hands around Orochimaru's shirt collar, bringing there faces just inches apart from each other.

"You. Know. Damn well what I am_ talking_ about."

The small door to the room opened and Asuma walked in.

"Kakashi, the chief wants to see you…"

At that moment, Orochimaru couldn't hold his smile. His lips were itching to release it, but he had to keep up his façade. It slowing crept up on his face to reveal a sinister smile of someone with no empathy, with no sense of guilt at all.

And Kakashi snapped. He slammed his right fist powerfully into Orochimaru's jaw, in which Orochimaru fell backwards onto the floor. Kakashi then jumped over the table and punched him two times in the face; until he felt Asuma and some others pulled him off of the bleeding monster.

Asuma practically had to drag Kakashi out of the interrogation room. He continued to struggle with Kakashi until he pushed him through the door of the men's restroom and block the door. Kakashi paced around in the room before slamming his fist into one of the restroom stall's door.

"Get a hold of your self, Kakashi," Asuma yelled. "Jees." He frustratingly straightened out his shirt which got out of place from the struggling he'd endured with Kakashi. "Just calm down," he continued.

Kakashi continued to pace the restroom, he wanted to do a lot more than just break Orochimaru's nose… a lot more. _He_ was toying with him, rubbing it in his face. _He knows where Obito is_, Kakashi thought.

"…happened," he heard Asuma's voice over his musing.

He turned to face his friend, "What," he asked, anger still in his voice.

"I said," Asuma said calming down; he walked up to his friend. "What happened?"

Kakashi felt his anger resurfacing again.

"That…man…he, he knows where Obito is," he tried taking deep breaths to calm him self down. "He was toying with me and he goes and tells me that he doesn't know what the _hell_ I'm talking about." Kakashi's anger rose again and he found himself slamming his other fist into the stall door again. "The hell he does."

"Okay," Asuma raised his voice again. "What do you have on him?"

"What," Kakashi turned around to face his friend again only to find that Asuma was right behind him. He looked away. "Nothing," he whispered.

"Well, you will have to find some evidence. You've been going through this blindly, Kakashi. It's not like you."

There was a silence between the two. Finally, giving up on his anger, Kakashi agreed, "I know."

"You need evidence, Kakashi, sufficient evidence so you can take down the son of a gun who took Obito. It's the only way."

Kakashi walked over to one of the sinks in the restroom and lean on it.

"I know…I know, I just …got so frustrated and that…uh, man." He looked up at Asuma, "He knows something; I just know he does."

Asuma just nod his head and leaned on the sink next to the one Kakashi was leaning up against.

Before Asuma could say anything else, the restroom door slammed opened. The door hit the opposing wall with such force; it left a huge hole from where the door handle hit the wall.

Tsunade appeared a second later, her eyes frowning in anger and annoyance.

"Kakashi, in my office… NOW."

On his way to Tsunade's office he happened to see Orochimaru and his lawyer outside the interrogation door. They were obviously being release from the department. It irritated him to no end that he couldn't get the answers that he wanted from the man.

Orochimaru must have sense him staring at him, because he turned around and looked straight at Kakashi. A smile formed on his face and he did a casual wave as to say, no hard feelings.

Yeah, Kakashi was irritated, he would find the evidence he would need to bring Orochimaru down, he would get him to confess and find Obito in the process.

* * *

**AN: **That last line always gets me (Crying) because we know that Kakashi doesn't save Obito in time and it leaves Kakashi hurting. Man, I'm cruel, making Kakashi hurt that way. Oh, I hope this chapter helps in building the characters for both Kakashi and Orochimaru and in a way, Kabuto.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. In this chapter it helps you guys get to know Orochimaru a little better, since I hardly mentioned him in the early chapters. Man, Orochimaru is a cruel man, thankfully I didn't make him that way, that belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I just used Orochimaru to make him even more sadistic than what he already is in the Manga and Anime. Please don't hold that against me.

Surprisingly, I didn't put any clues in this chapter, just a **hint **which was mentioned up above.

Please review, Thank You.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **Here's another chapter, hope you guys like it. It's a two part-er.

**Hint: **Kiba is calmed by **IT**. Remember the first hint and the one in Chapter 6.

Enjoy

**Rated: T**

* * *

Chapter 7

The Box: Part 1

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

He woke to the sound of the clock ticking again. It was placed on top of his box since he's been in here, two days he thinks. He could faintly hear the second one on the other box where they kept Kiba. It was their punishment for trying to escape or for getting caught; he thinks. They cleaned them up after they checked their wounds. Afterwards, they took them into a room inside the building and threw them into boxes.

The box was small. Sasuke lie on his side, his knees pressed into his chest, his head and the bottom of his feet touched the end of the box while his back and his shins touched its sides. He was in a tight squeeze. If he tried to move, he wouldn't move far. When he tried to turn to at least get somewhat comfortable, a part of his body would hit the side or the bottom of the box.

The five holes were medium size. They were made for breathing, Sasuke counted them so many times.

He hated not being able to move. It made him feel like he has no control, it made him feel uncomfortable.

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

They've been here for two days. In the distance, he could hear Kiba scratching at his own box, he could hear him pounding on the box as well. He, himself, felt the need to pound on the box too, his breathing was already becoming labored.

_It's so hot…I can't breath, there's hardly any air._

"Calm down. This is what he wants," Sasuke whispered to his self, for the thousandth time he woke in the box. "Just slow deep breaths." He remembered what Lee had told him earlier about the man who kidnapped them. He wanted to break them, break the stronger ones. He wants to get out of this box so bad.

_Two days…Two days…Two days, HOW LONG AM I GOING TO STAY IN THIS FREAKING BOX?_

He flinched, he didn't want to panic again, "Stay calm, just stay…"

_Please, I have to get out of here. I'm going to suffocate, I'm going to die._

He found his hands pushing on the box. He heard Kiba screaming in the distance. His heart jumped.

_It's so hot, no… DON'T PANIC…but I can't get free, why can't I get free?_

Sasuke's breathing was becoming harder to control. His heart raced with such pounding, he could feel the impression of it being force onto his knees.

_Please, I want to GET OUT._

"No…I want to get …stay calm, Sasuke, stay calm," Sasuke told him self. God, he couldn't think straight.

_I can't breath, Oh God, the holes are getting smaller._

Sasuke looked up at the holes in his box; they _were_ getting smaller, very, _very_ slowly. He closed his eyes, _they weren't getting small, I'm just panicking_, he told his self, "I'm okay, and I'm just panicking. The holes aren't getting small. They. Aren't. Getting. Small," he whispered to himself, his rapid breathing making it that much harder to stay sane.

_I'm going crazy…I don't want to die._

Sasuke tried curling in on his self. His chest hurt, he felt sick and dizzy.

Nothing was working. He started hyperventilating. He has to get out.

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

_AAAAHHHHHHH_

His mind was screaming he pushed on the box a little harder. His body was feeling cold one minute and then hot the next, it didn't feel right. He was sweating and the feeling of losing control was making itself known…again.

_I got to get out…I got to get out…please, God…Oh, God, please._

With the little room he had left, he tried kicking the box. He pound on the box as hard as he could, it wasn't budging. Just faintly, in the distance, he could hear pounding coming from the other box. _Kiba's going through the same thing I going through,_ he somehow had enough sense to think of that at the time. But it didn't stay long as another wave of panic hit him…and it hit him hard. He tensed, his body didn't move for a second before, he let out a shilling scream. It echoed in the box, making it hit his ears with loud aftershocks. He couldn't cover them; his arms couldn't reach without hitting the walls of the box.

He could hear his breathing as it came out short and shallow. He screamed again.

_Make it stop…make it stop…I want to get out._

_I can't breathe…I'm going to die…I can't get out._

_Why can't I get out…Don't panic…don't panic._

_Oh, God, please…I don't want to die…I can't breathe._

He mind was on overload. It was like he wasn't really there; just experience this in another world, but feeling everything around him. He can't distinguish what was real and what was not.

The holes were getting small again.

_I'm suffocating…The holes…they're getting…smaller…I'm going…to…suffocate._

That was the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness, but before everything went into darkness, he heard the clock again, it kept ticking.

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

Chapter 7

Getting to Know the Victims: Part 2

"Obito, carefree, energetic, and very wise for his age," Kakashi offered. "He was loved by his peers and the ones who cared for him. He likes to play video games and he would sometimes spend most of his time at the park on the weekends."

Kakashi place his notes under the photo. He didn't need to explain too much about Obito to the others, they all knew about him through him. He was always telling them how Obito did this and how he did that.

He stared at the photo for a moment, and with a sigh turned to face his team. "He was a great kid." He then sat done to hear the other profile on the other kids missing.

Kurenai and Genma stood up, their notes in their hands. "Okay," Kurenai began. "Sanko Muchi. His parents said that he was a very smart and well behaved young man. He had many friends; he goes to a private school where he was the class president. He spends most of his time at home playing his violin; he had a concert to go to the day he went missing. His parents were gone at the time; they were at a meeting for parents and teachers which they go to every Wednesday and Friday nights," she placed her notes under the boy's photo.

Genma pulled out his note, "Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan at Konoha All Boys Orphanage. He's been there almost his whole life, since his parents died in a train accident when he was eight. The person over the orphanage describes Naruto as being a prankster and a very energetic and loud boy. He always finds trouble when he's around others. Most of the time, he spends his time alone, but is always smiling around others. Overall, Naruto was a hand full." Genma finished as he placed his note in place under Naruto's picture.

"Alright, Kiba Inuzuka," Genma started again. "He is pretty much like Naruto, but his parent describes him as being head-strong. He got in trouble in elementary school for bullying the younger kids, but when he got into middle school, he became…well, uhm…friendlier. He took most of his aggression out by playing football. Through there, he became really popular. The other two, Sakura Haruno and Hinata Hyuga are best friends. Sakura is a smart girl at her school. She is at the top of most of her class, and the vice-president of her school. She plays soccer after school and is the captain of her team. She lives with her mother, but on the weekend she spends time with her father and stepmother. Hinata is also smart, but she is not as out-going as her friend, Sakura. She is considered by her peers to be shy and has low self-esteem, but many of her peers find that they can really connect with her because she's kind-hearted and seem to make them smile and feel comfortable around her. She doesn't play any sports, but she does play the flute at her school band. Her father runs a business and is not always home, but she do have the maids who look after her." Genma put his notes under all three pictures. Both he and Kurenai went to set down in their seats.

Asuma stood and read off his notes, "Rock Lee is a young man who work hard at everything that he does. He lives with his single-father, Guy, who works full-time and part-time at two different restaurants. Lee is in a lot of sports, from football to wrestling, he is very good in all of them. Some of the students see him as a class nuisance because of the way he dress and how he proudly describes his hard-work and dedication in youthful sports and that everyone should do the same. In general, everyone likes him because of his dedication and hard-work." Asuma places his notes under Lee's picture.

"Uhm, Sasuke Uchiha, there's not much I got from his parents or friends. His parents says that he was a happy kid and was easy to deal with when he was younger and when his brother was around, but after, the death _of _his brother, he changed. He goes to private school and he has good grades, he just doesn't have many friends. He isolated himself from his family and everyone. The few friends that he do hang out with also says that he keep to himself. Both parents are business based workers. His father is a well-known realtor and his mother works as an assistant for a franchise clothing company."

After his little description, Asuma placed his notes under Sasuke's photo and sat down.

They all sat there eyeing the small description of the young teens. They were different as Kakashi pointed out, but what were their similarities that the perpetrator saw in them to pick them out, out of a whole bunch of other kids. What attracted the perpetrator to want these kids?

"I don't get it," Kurenai spoke. "There's no pattern in how he picks them and there's really no similarities in features that we can go with. It's like; he's just…well…picking them."

"No, there's something there, it's just hard to see it. I'm sure he's picking them for a reason," Kakashi answered. "We just need to work harder in finding it."

"Okay," Asuma bellowed out. "With the little information that we all just provided what _are_ the connections."

They all looked at the photos and their descriptions.

"Sanko and Hinata plays instruments," Kurenai pointed out.

"Sakura, Kiba, and Lee are all in sports. And Sanko and Sakura were both involved in their school's class counsel," Genma offered.

"Obito and Naruto were energetic and their parents died in transportation accidents," Asuma inputted as he mostly spoke towards his partner, Kakashi. It was nothing personal; just he knew how important this case was to his partner. "And Obito, Naruto, and Sasuke lost people close to them. Sasuke lost his brother, Naruto and Obito lost their parents."

"But what is it that connects all seven victims," Kakashi inquired.

There was a moment of silence to reflect on the question. Where was the connection?

Yeah, some were connected by the littlest of detail, but those didn't apply to all of them. It left them with more questions. The deeper they try the find some link to the victims to get an idea of what the perpetrator was after, it only left them empty handed and with more unanswered questions. They were just typical young teenagers, who became victims of a sick person. Nothing was constant, the crime scenes weren't the same, and the M.O. was different with most of the victims. What was the perpetrator looking for in all the victims?

It's not their school involvement. It wasn't what their parents did. There's no connection in the victims' personalities.

Then what was it? What was he looking for in his victims, what were they missing to find the suspect, their 'UNSUB.'

Kakashi sighed. He knows Orochimaru was involved in this. He just knows it. The snake's probably laughing at how he's getting away with something else that was slipping between Kakashi's fingers… and it ticked Kakashi off. He has to figure this out. No other person was going to die because Orochimaru fooled the law again.

No other person would have to suffer with the lost of a child, the lost of a love one.

Orochimaru was in on this from the beginning and Kakashi would be damned if he let Orochimaru walk again with more victims under his name.

No…Orochimaru was not getting away with this one…he was going down.

"It's Orochimaru," Kakashi blurted out.

"Kakashi," Asuma groaned.

"No," Kakashi shook his head. "We have a suspect, let's go with it."

"But you're only pinning him because he was the only suspect in Obito's case. We can't go with that alone. And if I remember correctly, we didn't have much evidence on him then, so how are we going to find more evidence on him now?"

"We were sloppy back then, we won't be now."

"Asuma's right, Kakashi, you're still caught up with this being Orochimaru's doing that you're not thinking clearly," Kurenai put in.

"I'm thinking fine," Kakashi stood up. He knew they wouldn't take his assumption seriously, but he had to try. "Alright, I'll admit that I'm still ticked that Orochimaru got away, with just a slap on the back, but this is different…I'm different."

He faced his partners/friends square in the eyes. "I'm not going to just impulsively jump into things without thinking things through, anymore. I'm going to do this right. And with the help from all of you…I think we can bring him down," he pleaded.

Sigh, "Kakashi," Kurenai groaned.

"Please…I'm just asking you to just…forget what this whole thing with me, Obito…and Orochimaru has and help me try and find more evidence…something to pin him with…anything," he paused to let it sink in. "And if we can't find anything, then I'm done and I'll drop everything, every comment, every accusation, every whatever I said or could blame on or about the son of a…"

"Kakashi," Kurenai blurted his name. She wasn't really fond of the name callings, especially the inappropriate ones.

"But…," Kakashi continued. "But, if I'm right then we bring him down…we bring him down like the _scum_ he is," he let _that_ sink in. "We take him down so he won't hurt another human being in his life. Not a child, not an adult…not anyone else. Got it?"

There was silence.

Asuma just shook his head while Kurenai and Genma sat in their seats contemplating everything that was said. It was a hard decision, but this was their friend. He was counting on them, he needed them. They all looked up to see the serious, but pleading look in Kakashi's eyes. It was hard to say no, especially with the little of their old friend they use to know was coming back. He was not broody; he was not isolating himself from the rest of them. He was standing right there, in front of them, asking for their help. Asking that they help him bring down the reason for his pain, bring down the one person who took everything away from him. He was asking…

"Fine," Asuma said.

"Fine with me," Genma said afterwards.

They waited for Kurenai, who after some seconds later agreed.

"Fine, but we look for other suspects too. We have to keep this like any other case we've done in the past, okay?"

Kakashi smiled, "Okay."

They all felt a relief being lifted.

"Okay, so let's get started," Genma stated.

They gathered up their things and various items to head out the door, when Kakashi idly stopped in front of them.

"Oh, and _if_ I'm right, you guys have to treat me to beers for a whole year, no make that two years," he smiled and left his stunned friends at the entrance of the door.

Yeah, Kakashi was slowly, but surely going back to his old ways…they were getting their friend back.

They gradually smiled at their friend's form of not quitting until he had them right where he wanted them. They all agreed to help him…it was where he wanted them…by his side. It was all he needed… for now.

* * *

**AN: **The scene with Sasuke was suppose to be confusing since it was a moment of panicking. Yeah, I wanted it to be that way, since I have read somewhere that a person who experience a panic attack sometimes feels like they are "going crazy" or "losing control." Along with the panic attack are some symptoms of claustrophobia, so...yeah...I wanted it to be confusing and have that sense of panicky feeling. I hope that came across in the first part.

In the second part, I wanted to describe the victims more. I wanted you guys, as readers and reviewers, to know what they were like and how they were viewed and in a way keeping it short and simple. The character, Sanko Muchi, is my own character and is the boy that they mention in the first chapter about finding the boy's body in the woods and all. Just wanted to make that clear, but I guess you guys already figured that out on your own. Also in the second part, this was to remind you of the case and Kakashi's sole reason why he want to bring down Orochimaru, not only because of Obito, but because he did not want to see another living soul get taken away from love ones. And he was finally asking (needing) his friends support to help him and they accepted...I was so happy. It was a long way coming but Kakashi finally letting his friends back in and not push them away.

Anyway, I keep blabbling on, but the clues in this chapter were obvious, they were a given and I summed them up in the chapter as well. There was no hidden clue in this chapter.

Please, review and let me know what you guys thought. I only had one review for my last chapter and I was really looking forward for your inputs on what you thought of it. I really want to know what you guys thought about this one since I put more information in this chapter.

**Pretty...Pretty, Pretty, please...I'm beggin (on hands and knees) please review and let me know. I get more inspired that way.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Hello everyone. Gee, I feel swell today. I love this chapter, it took me two rewrites to finally get what I want out of this chapter. For a whole week there, I thought I would never get it the way I wanted it to be, but it finally turned out the way, well, the way I wanted it to be.

Thanks for the reviews...and I would like to have noted that one person was very close in describing what Orochimaru wanted in his victims and why. Not mentioning any names but I think you know who you are. Keep guessing and you might figure it out, especially with this chapter, then after another chapter, there will be a big clue (hidden of course) coming up.

**Warning: **This chapter contains mentionings of violent acts upon a minor (foreshadows what is coming in later chapters) and violence on a minor (small but there). Angst plays a big part in this chapter and soon a much bigger part in later chapters, just wanted to make that known so you guys can be prepared. I may make them really gruesome for later chapters, but I'm not that big on details so you don't have to worry about me being specific.

**Hint: **Lee is encouraged by **IT**. Gather all the hints and remember the things that happened so far in the fanfics to try and guess what **IT **is.

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 8

I Won't Lose You

They had just received their afternoon meal, when they heard the hallway doors being opened again. Sakura was the first to stand and cross the room to get to Lee. It's been three days since anyone came to take him away; it's been three days since they lost Sasuke and Kiba. Naruto stayed close to Hinata as they heard footsteps echo through their hallway.

"There are more people this time," Naruto whispered. "You think they're coming for all of us?" He looked to Sakura for answers; she just shrugged her shoulders and held onto Lee tightly. He was shaking.

They heard the footsteps stop at their door and the door knob turned. When the door opened, Sasuke and Kiba were pushed in and the door was closed afterwards. They stayed on their hands and knees, tensed and unmoved. Dark bags were under their eyes and they looked tired.

After they heard the hallway door closed some distance away, that's when everyone made their move. Sakura, Lee, Hinata, and Naruto ran to their fallen friends and surrounded them.

"Are you guys okay," Lee asked.

Kiba nodded his head, yes, but seconds later he shook his head, no.

Lee and Sakura shared concerned looks.

"Are you hurt," Sakura asked. She placed her hand on Sasuke's right shoulder and visually saw him tense and shudders away. Kiba started to hyperventilate.

"I need air," he said and he pushed his way through their made circle and ran to his bed. For a minute, everyone just watched him sit there breathing slow and forcefully, willing his breathing to calm down.

"Sasuke are you okay? What happened to you guys? Why did they keep you so long," Naruto asked as he moved a little closer to Sasuke. "I thought I wouldn't see you again, both of you." His eyes were pleading; he was scared that he might have lost someone else.

"We're fine," Sasuke said and he too pushed his way through the circle and sat on his own bed, he closed his eyes, his own way of calming his self down.

The rest just looked at each other and went back to what they were doing earlier; they ate their afternoon meal and worried.

"Here," Naruto walked up to Sasuke some time later. He's been watching Sasuke for awhile and it looked to him that Sasuke needed company.

Sasuke opened his eyes to see a bowl of so-called food in his face. "I thought, since we haven't seen you guys for three days, I figured you must be hungry." Sasuke watched as Naruto gave him a big smile. Looking away for a moment, he saw Hinata giving Kiba her bowl of food as well.

"I hope I saved you enough," Naruto stated as he placed the bowl on Sasuke's lap and sat next to him. Sasuke took the bowl and ate the leftovers Naruto offered him.

"So…" Naruto started. "What _did_ happen to you guys?" He looked up at Sasuke and smiled, a sad one this time. "I saw when those dogs attacked you and then I saw when the people came and carried you away. Did…d-did they hurt you?"

"No," was all Sasuke could say. He was going to tell Naruto to leave him alone, to go bother Kiba or someone else, but his words got caught in his throat and the only word that came out was a plain 'no.' It did make him feel uncomfortable though, the attention he was getting from Naruto made him uncomfortable because the feelings were of someone caring for him. He didn't have that feeling in a long time and he didn't know how to handle it, now, by a stranger no less.

"Well, I'm glad that you are okay," Naruto smiled. He reached up and gave Sasuke a hug.

_Why…_, Sasuke thought._ Why is he hugging me? I got to stop this_. Taking his bowl, he pushed it between their bodies and forced it into Naruto's lap.

"Here, I'm done, thanks."

"You're welcome." He took the bowl, swirling it around as he stayed sitting next to Sasuke, concentrating on what to say next. "You know… the time that they took that one kid, I was alone for awhile. I thought I wouldn't see another person in my life. I was glad when more came, but I felt kind of, you know out of place. Kiba wouldn't talk to me at first, Hinata and Sakura were always together, and well they kept taking Lee for me to even get to know him. But after awhile we learned to comfort each other and we became close, you know." He looked up at Sasuke, his own eyes glimmering by the afternoon rays. "It's okay for you to feel out of place cause your recent here, but we're here, you don't have to push us away."

Sasuke who had looked away from Naruto when he was giving him that little speech turned back around to glare at Naruto, who flinched a little from the intensity of it.

"You don't know me, so don't think you know how I feel," Sasuke growled.

The room became quiet, much quieter than what it was earlier when there were only the sounds of plastic spoons hitting plastic bowls. Everyone felt the tension and it didn't ease up as Sakura walked over by Sasuke's bed to asked what was going on.

"Why are you here? Why do you keep bothering me? I don't want your pity, your concern, or your helpful tips on how I feel, just leave me alone," Sasuke continued, completely ignoring Sakura's question and putting all his frustration and hurt onto Naruto.

He was irritated, he wanted his space, and he wanted his time to be alone to think. Memories were so hard to make go away when **He** was around. The boy was a magnet in making Sasuke remembers his past. It was like he opened up what was deep inside and made Sasuke want to _share_. He didn't want this… this boy who keep bring up his …, he just didn't want it, _Leave me Alone_.

Naruto finally looked away, sad and hurt. He watched Sasuke's eyes the whole time and he saw anger, hate, and confusion, which was a little surprising, but the words were strong, and, well, he was only trying to help. He was only trying to be nice and he thought Sasuke would appreciate it.

"Sorry," it came out low and shaky and he tried to hold back the tears. "I just thought…"

"Well, you thought wrong, just go already."

Sakura, being the closest, took Naruto's hand and walked with him to his bed, but not before she gave Sasuke an angry frown, which, Sasuke, in return just sigh and lied down in his bed, his back facing everyone. He heard their gentle words of 'its okays' and 'don't worry' to Naruto before he fell into a forced sleep. _I hate you, both of you._

He was awoken by someone grunting and the scraping sound of metal sliding across metal. He chose to ignore it but then he heard something heavy being dropped on the floor and a whispered 'Ouch.' It was now dark outside and the darkness covered the room, but the moon shun through the window, dimly lighting the room in gray and silver.

Sasuke turned and sat up in bed. Everyone was asleep in their own bed, everyone except Naruto. He was over by the now open square that was once padded and it look like he was about to climb through, until Sasuke startled him.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto ceased his climbing and turned to find Sasuke standing in front of him. His arms were crossed over his chest and a glare was pointed towards him. Naruto thought about what Sasuke told him earlier, so crudely, and shook his head. _He was just tired_, Naruto thought, _It was my fault for even bothering him in the first place_.

"I'm going to find a way out of here so I can get help. There's got to be another way somewhere," Naruto answered, he hoped Sasuke wouldn't get mad, maybe he would think it was sweet of him.

"WHAT," Sasuke yelled, but calmed himself down by taking a deep breath, before he continued, but whispered this time. "Didn't you see what happened last time? Don't be a fool, you could get caught or worst."

"I thought you didn't care?" Naruto rubbed in. He's still hurt, but knowing Sasuke seemed somewhat concerned helped lift his spirit…just a little.

"I don't."

Silence took over and Naruto was looking hurt again. He was starting to look that way more often, Sasuke noticed. He felt almost guilty that most of the time it was him who caused the boy's sad expressions, but he would remind himself later that he didn't care and why should he.

"Move," Sasuke sighed as he pushed Naruto out of the way to climb into the hole.

"But, I thought…"  
"Are you coming," Sasuke interrupted. He figured if he didn't go, Naruto would probably get himself caught or killed, so to make sure he didn't mess up, Sasuke thought he should go with him.

"Yeah. Sure," Naruto answered after a while and climbed into the large shaft after Sasuke.

They were just crawling through the shaft, finding open vents that they would peer through to see rooms for their way of escaping, but they would either find the room occupied or the doors boarded up. They were alternating; Sasuke would look through the vents to their right while Naruto look through the ones to their left. Sasuke was leading the way, but it became harder to do so when the shaft reminded him so much of being in that box. He felt the panic building up, but before he could feel the chills of wanting to curl him self into a ball, Naruto would ask him a question and he would forget his verge of panicking and answer Naruto's never-ending questions. It helped in a way.

"Hey look," Naruto blurted.

Sasuke stopped and turned his head to find Naruto looking through an opened vent on his side of the shaft. "The door isn't boarded up and there isn't anyone occupying the room."

"Try opening the vent," Sasuke commanded.

Naruto pushed on the vent and it fell open. Thanks to the padded floors, no noise was made when the metal fell.

Naruto climbed head first out of the vents, while Sasuke climbed backwards. When he landed, he ran straight towards the door and grabbed the door handle. Only, it wouldn't turn nor would it open, it was boarded from the outside.

"Great," Sasuke sighed, he kicked the door and leaned his head on it. They were going to be here all night.

"Hey look at this," Naruto pointed at some boxes and a TV with a VCR. "There are tapes in these boxes." He picked one up and read the label. "Sanko Muchi…Hey that's the name of that kid that was with me before the rest of you came." He picked up another one and read the label. "Obito Toreniki."

Sasuke walked up to Naruto and took one of the tapes from his hand. He clicked on the TV and turned the volume down. Placing the tape in the VCR, he press play and watch the screen turn frizzy for a second before fussing out into a room, their room, but a boy was in it… Obito.

_Obito sat in his large room, he tried many times to get out but he couldn't find an exit. Now, he just sat and waited until the right opportunity came by and he could escape._

_"You can't keep me here," Obito yelled at no one in particular, just an empty room. "They will find me…he will find me and you will be in big trouble. You will go to jail for a long time."_

_He banged his fist into the wall next to him to emphasize his frustration and anger. He then sat in his lonely room, his head resting on his knees as his legs were brought up to his chest for his arms to lean on._

The tape fizzled out again and came back on to an image outside. Sasuke remembered because he was outside four days ago.

_Obito was running for his life, a camera following him where ever he turned. He dodged out of trees' limbs and jumped over fallen tree trucks as he scurried for the opened fence._

_"HELP," he yelled._

_He was about to make it to the fence when something grabbed at his leg, he looked behind him to see a rottweiler pulling on his white pants. The camera focused on Obito for a while then veered up to show the fence closing right there in front of Obito. The camera then turned back on Obito and showed him crying as his escape had failed. Over his crying were laughter, it was deep and creepy._

_"SHUT UP," Obito yelled at the camera, the dog long gone off his pants leg. He was just pinned down by a boot on his lower back. He tried swinging his fist at the offending leg but he couldn't reach, so he grabbed some dirt and threw it at the camera instead. _

The tape frizzled and reappeared again on a scene.

_"You should know by now that it is futile to try to escape. Why do you keep doing it," A voice spoke to a now bruised up Obito who was strapped to a chair._

_"Because I know I will escape, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day… and I will..." A hand slapped his face stopping his sentence. Obito just laughed and spit into the camera's lens, red from his own blood._

_"You will regret that one day," the voice said after wiping the blood from the lens._

_"And you will regret ever taking me in the first place. I won't give up, I won't."_

The tape flipped to another scene.

_It showed a small wooden box, it rocked and shook as there were banging noises coming from the inside. A clock sat on the top of it and a scream was heard afterwards. It was a disturbing sight._

Sasuke looked away, he knew what that felt like, to be trapped in such a small space with hardly any light and the sound of the ticking. It made him sick and cold again. He heard the frizzle of the tape changing scene before he chose to look again.

They watched the tape almost all the way through, knowing the outcome, yet they couldn't look away. The boy…this Obito kid kept deviating the person and every time, he was either beaten or punished in the most cruel way. They both silently rooted for the boy, hoping every one of his escape attempts would set him free or something, but they would fail every time, but the boy never gave up and that in a way gave some hope that he would one day escape.

_Is this what Lee goes through_, Sasuke thought, _is this what he will go through, will all of them go through this kind of torture. Are they going to…_

A scream from the TV forced him out of his musing as he caught a glimpse of the boy being torture in a cruel way, again.

Sasuke turned his eyes away from the screen to look at Naruto. He was crying, huge tears ran down his childish cheeks and dropped on his white shirt.

_Would he have to go through all that_, Sasuke thought. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, it was almost too painful for him to withstand. He had to cover his chest with his hand to ease the pain. It felt like how it did when he was little, when his brother… _No…no, he would not loss another…it won't happen to Naruto or the rest of them. They will escape this, they will make it, or someone will find them sooner or later…it won't happen to them._

He then turned to look at the TV and reached to turn the VCR off. The screen frizzled a little and then went black. He took the tape out and placed it back into the box he saw Naruto take it out of earlier.

He didn't turn back around to face Naruto, he couldn't. He had tears at the edge of his own eyes and they were threatening to fall and he knew for a fact that they would fall if he turned to look at Naruto again. To watch him cry and know that he understood what was happening to that boy on the tape and put it all together and understand that, that too can, could, and would happen to them.

Naruto gasped, and Sasuke turned around then.

"You think that happened to Sanko…what they did to that boy," he asked between sobs. His head was down as he tried to cover his tearful face. A moment later he gasped again and looked at Sasuke, who looked away because his tears were falling, they finally broken through his hold on them. "You think they do that to Lee, too? Does he go through that when they take him?" Naruto cried harder. "Did…you…go…through that?"

_What am I suppose to do? How do I make him stop crying, how do I make myself stop crying_, Sasuke thought. Every time Naruto said something, more tears would fall and he was becoming scared. He didn't know what to do.

Then Sasuke remembered something from his childhood. It was when, after his brother died and some years had passed, he had fallen off his bike and he began to cry because he had scraped his knee. His father had walked up to him and…

Sasuke gave Naruto a hug, a tight one where it meant that no harm would come to you and you weren't going to leave them no matter what happened.

It was the only time his father ever showed him any type of affection since his brother's suicide. His father doesn't give him these types of hugs anymore, but at least Sasuke remembered how they use to make him feel when he received them. And it seemed to help Naruto as well, because Naruto was hugging him back and he had stopped crying.

"It's okay," Sasuke found himself repeating his father's words from that day. "I won't lose you."

Naruto nodded in his shoulder, just like how he did when his father spoke those words.

"Come on, let's go back. We'll try again tomorrow night, okay," Sasuke unhooked their arms and walked back under the vent's opening, wiping his own dried tears from his face. Naruto nodded his head and walked over towards Sasuke. Sasuke bend down and places his hands over one of his bent knees, "I'll lift you up so you can climb back into the vent, okay." Another nodded and Naruto was lifted up to the vent. He turned around and helped Sasuke climb back into the vent.

They silently crawled through the shaft back to their room with the others. Naruto climbed out first, then Sasuke who quickly grabbed the padded wall to place it back over the shaft opening.

"Naruto, give me a hand with this," Sasuke grunted as he tried picking up the heavy wall. Naruto never came to help him. "Naruto, did you hear me? Come over here and help me…"

Their room lights cut on, momentarily blinding Sasuke as he turned around to see that Naruto was being held by a man wearing all black, he was struggling with the man, but the man had a fast grip on him and over his mouth. Sasuke also notice that the others (Sakura, Kiba, Hinata, and Lee) were being held by some other people who wore all black, but one of them stood empty handed, he had white hair and black-rimmed glasses that glimmered by the room's light. He stood in front of Sasuke almost blocking his view from the rest of his captive roommates.

It happened so quickly that Sasuke didn't have time to react. He was punched in the stomach which had him doubling over gasping for air. He was then being grabbed by the back of the hair and yanked upward where his head was slammed against the wall.

"Sasuke," Naruto yelled when his mouth was free for a moment.

Sasuke slide down the wall, dizzy from both blows and gasping for absent of air.

The white hair man, pushed up his glasses and leaned over Sasuke to grab him by the neck and yanked him upright to have Sasuke slam against the wall again, but this time, he didn't have him sliding down the wall, he kept him standing, hand still around his throat and squeezing.

Sasuke realizing his predicament, swung, and clip the man, in front of him, right in the jaw. The man wavered for a moment but his grip didn't let up, he only squeezed harder.

Sasuke started to panic as the need for air became vital. He gripped on the arm before him and tried pulling the man away.

Kabuto laughed as the boy struggled under his hold. He leaned in so that his mouth was over the boy's right ear.

"Yes, do keep struggling, I like it when you struggle," he whispered and pulled away only to see pure terror form in Sasuke's eyes.

"Grrrr," Sasuke tried breathing, but it was useless.

Kabuto laughed again before he spoke, "He wants to meet you," he told Sasuke. He then turned around to face the other captives. They were all scared, faced with seeing someone about to die before their very eyes and scared because they didn't know what to do. "He wants to meet all of you," Kabuto finished and then he took a syringe out of his pocket and stabbed it right into Sasuke's neck, emptying its content before pulling it out and releasing Sasuke. The other men in black took out their own syringes and did the same to their captives.

There were some cries coming from Hinata and Kiba as the needle was being jabbed into their neck, the others either flinched or had a hand over their mouth that their cries were muffled.

Sasuke watched all this as he slid down the wall again, gasping for air…again, and his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. He watched as slowly the drug took affect on his friends and as it did the same to him.

He watched as Naruto slumped down to the floor, trying to fight the drug, trying to stay conscious. As Naruto fell fully onto the floor, his eyes fluttering close, the others doing the same, Sasuke's thoughts, as his own darkness became unbearable, were of what his father had told him those years ago after he had hugged him and told him those kind words, those kind words he just, not so long ago, told Naruto…

_"It's okay; I won't lose you, Itachi, my only son."_

* * *

**AN: **I hope when you guys read the part where Sasuke mentioned this: _I hate you, both of you. _He wasn't talking about Sakura, Naruto, or anyone in the room with him, just of old memories and emotional hatred or pain...I'm not telling, but it will be cleared up in later chapters...just so you know.

This chapter was kind of sad once you read the ending thoughts of Sasuke and put it together toward the middle when Sasuke gave Naruto that hug. Because it mentioned how he felt about the hug, his father gave him and how it made him so happy. But then you read the ending sentence and you felt sorry for Sasuke because that hug his father gave him was meant for someone else...Itachi. Man, I'm so mean.

1 hidden clue, it was actually a given but since you don't know what the clue is, it's a hidden one.

Anyway, tell me what you thought about it. Give me reviews so I can get inspired to continue (A bribe, I know, but I had to try, right). **Pretty please** (I feel better now, begging should make that bribery go away).

Thank you


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Hey here's another chapter for CIE, hope you guys like it.

Oh, GREAT NEWS, I was recently told that my review system for Anonymous reviewers was disabled, so now it is enable and EVERYONE can review now. SO those who were just reading can now review. Yay.

**HINT: **Sasuke needs **IT **but pushes away from **IT**. This should be a big clue giver since most of the chapters are in Sasuke's point-of-view.

This chapter is Rated **R** because the content mention in this chapter. Not really big, but if you don't like to read about children being tortured than this might not be your cup of tea. But I this does have more insights on the Sasuke and the rest of the group, just so you know.

Enjoy

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Chapter 9

Emotions: Let's Toy With Them

"Aaaargh," Sasuke's muffled cry filled the room. He was being shocked with electrical volts that had his body burning from the inside. His muscles were contracting and they continued to do so as more and more waves of sparkling heat entered his body. His eyes were closed from both, on their own accord and from the pain, he was suffering terribly. But the instant it started the sooner it ended. It left Sasuke breathless and shaken, his body aching and on fire.

"You've been naughty these passed few days," Orochimaru spoke to the group.

They were bond to chairs, in a circle, in a room, not their own, but somewhere in the building. This room was dull and grey. The walls, not padded, but harden with cement and crumbling paint, there's no window, just a flittering ceiling lamp that was dying out, fading with time into a dim lit illumination, hardly covering the room, itself.

"And so you must be punished," Orochimaru flipped a switch and this time it was Sakura who received the shock. Her dampened screams filled the room and echoed off the decaying walls as she violently shook and desperately tried to get away from the heat being forced upon her body but failing. As it ended, it too left her shaken, but she continued to scream out. She wanted to be free, to get away and in doing so she started pulling at her binds causing her wrists and ankles to go raw.

Everyone watched from their own doom chairs as they felt sorry for her but they couldn't do anything about it. Orochimaru on the other hand could and he walked behind her chair to place pale, skinny hands on her shoulders to calm her down. He whispered for her to calm down and that this was what was best for her, for her to learn not to disobey him.

Hinata was silently crying, Kiba, to her right, watched, his own tears leaking from his eyes wishing he could be next to her to comfort her. Naruto was hyperventilating; sweat rolled down his face while he watched the scene before him. He was next to Hinata on her left and Sasuke to his right, followed by Sakura and then Lee.

"Hush, child, no need for tears, they are but trivial states that can't help you now," Orochimaru finished as he moved away from Sakura and back to the switch. She had somewhat calmed down but she still cried as Lee was the next to get the punishment.

Orochimaru wanted them to watch as one by one was punished for their disreputable behavior. He wanted them to see what their attempts for escaping would lead them to and he wanted all of them to suffer. He flipped the switch off and switched another one on for the next victim to receive the reprimand…Kiba. Kiba's chest stuck out as volts of energy pass through his body. He didn't scream, his muffled sounds were of deep intake of air but it seems he couldn't take in any. Through the last seconds of shocks, he did scream and his body went limp as he breathes in a deep needed inhale to fulfill what was lost. He muffled something afterwards but it died out as soon as Hinata went surging off her chair. Soon after, Naruto was next and he was the same as Hinata's. He rose up from his chair except for what was bond and screamed from the pain. It soon ended and the torturing continued until it left them all exhausted and dazed.

Orochimaru moved away from the switch to walk around the group in which he calls 'guests.' Most were crying, he expected that but one was being calm excluding his wavered breathing and shaking body but he was being…stronger than the rest of them. He did not like that at all. _Punishment should be a time of dreading, shame, and guilt_ he thought, _not strength_. He hated that result and well, he would have to make his self clear of what should be allowed.

"Emotions are such unique assets," he stated as he walked behind Sasuke's chair to the one who was deviating his purpose.

"So complex to understand and yet, there are so many of them to differentiate from, its makes you wonder…do we really experience them… and why?"

He took a hand full of Sasuke soft silky hair and yanked his head backwards so it would hit the back of the chair and that his eyes were looking at his own. He saw so many emotions that way: **fear, pain, and deviance…strength**.

_No, that must not do._

He let go of Sasuke's hair and left from behind his chair. He walked around the group again until he was behind Kiba's chair, where he yanked at the boy's hair so he could do the same…to look into his eyes. **Anger, fear, and opposition**.

_That must go as well._

"They say it can't be controlled…," he continued with his speech. "…that it happens spontaneously, but it's an action and actions can be controlled."

He let go of Kiba's hair and aimed for Hinata's: **Fear, insecurity, and anger**.

_Almost there yet still resisting._

He freed her and back-tracked around until he was behind Lee's chair. **Fear, anger, forgiveness, and confusion**.

_Interesting, but not good enough._

He was at Sakura's now. She tried to pull away from him but he had her soon after. **Fear, humiliated, anger, and shame**.

"They say…it's an internal behavior and that it's something that it is expressed consciously in the mind and then is expressed externally through facial expressions…" He continued. "…where, we the humans learn from it by seeing others express it."

He walked over to Naruto and placed his hands through the soft blonde hair. He didn't grip at it yet he wanted to test something. Looking at the rest of his guest, he saw the same emotion play across their faces.

Concern, but Sasuke's…Confusion.

_Very Interesting._

He pulled at Naruto's hair and read his eyes: **Fear, confusion, anger, and surprise.**

After letting go, he walked around the circle again to finish his speech.

"So if it is something learned internally, why we learn from it externally through facial expressions and gestures," Orochimaru stated but laughed afterwards.

He circled around again in the opposite direction until he ended back at the switch again.

"Emotions are useless possessions to have. You have pride but that is brought down by shame," he looked at Lee who looked away.

"You have happiness but that is brought down by sadness and pain," he looked at Sakura and Hinata and Sakura started crying again, realizing that it was starting over again.

"You have feelings of safety but that is brought down by fear and danger," he turned to Naruto and Kiba, but their backs were to him but he knew that they sensed his attention on them because they tensed.

"And you have love but that is brought down by hate and so many unpleasant things," his eyes lingered on Sasuke who, he now could expect, didn't look away or didn't showed any form of cowering.

"Yes, emotions are useless possessions. You can read so many things by them and that makes it so easy to toy with."

He flipped the switch and watched as he began the torturing again. He would break them eventually, they won't have _those_ emotions again, and he will succeed.

* * *

**AN: **So what did you think? I like how I have Orochimaru reads their emotions and explain his version of what emotions are really are.

Now that everyone can review I hope to see a lot of them now. Please and Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Well another chapter. This chapter was hard to write since so much emotion had to be put into it. And then there's the matter of combining thoses emotions and installing it into a character who hardly showed any emotions. So I tried to keep Kakashi in character when I wrote this, I had to watch and read Naruto just so I could keep Kakashi, Kakashi. Tough as it was, I think I got it down, and on point, in a way Kakashi would show emotions for the first time.

**Hint: **Kakashi had **IT **and wants **IT **back, he's lost and lonely without **IT**

Enjoy

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Chapter 10

Sleep Deprivation

He tossed and turned and sleep still did not come. It was like this the night before and the night before that, and so on. Now that he thought about it, sleep didn't come easy for him in a long time. But these past nights were the hardest and he never really got any sleep, except for when he would doze off and woke minutes later to just about anything, the lump in his bed, the sound of a car's horn, the sound of the wind blowing, the sound of his own breathing, it was torture… and frustrating. It got so worst that Kakashi just laid in bed and stared at his bedroom ceiling, just like he was doing now. Why were these nights the hardest.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, frustratingly…exhaustingly and read the time on his digital clock, three-thirty-seven AM. Waiting after a minute, he got out of bed and into his kitchen. Turning on the light over his stove he made a cup of coffee and drunk it in his small living room, cloth in only his grey sweat pants.

He let the hot substance clear his mind and warm his body. It didn't help much in waking him up, which he found funny since he was never really sleep, but funny that his mind wouldn't sleep but his body felt drowsy and achingly tired. In that moment a memory formed, he was setting here one night, drinking coffee when…

_He heard a soft knock at his door; he got off his couch and answered it. Rin stood in her night gown, coat covering her thin form, a coffee cup in hand._

_"Got any to spare," she asked, a smile on her face. He opened his door a little wider and she stepped in and aimed for his coffee pot._

_After a while they got into a good conversation, about work and other things._

_"And you want to know what he told me," Rin asked between fits of laughter as she told Kakashi her story about a guy at work._

_"He said," she deepened her voice, to imitate a man's. "Where do you keep the IV because ICU saving my life over and over again because I just died and need of rescuing,_"_ and she just burst out laughing. "You get it…IV…ICU…it's a hospital joke,_"_ she asked, once again between fits of laughter._

_And he didn't get it, because it was a bad joke, but not wanting her to feel bad he just smiled and nodded his head and chuckled here and there._

_She calmed herself down with exhales and worded, "Whoo that was hilarious_"_ or "Aw, man, you had to been there._"_ He liked seeing her smile, it fit her face perfectly._

_"So, do you have any workplace jokes," she asked after she had calmed down._

_Kakashi cleared his throat and sat up a little further on the couch._

_"Uhm, no, not any that were as amusing as yours…," he humored with her. "…but let me give it a shot."_

_He pondered for a moment to think of a really good one. One did pop in his head, though, but it wasn't all that funny to him when Asuma told him and some other officers at the job. Oh, well, he couldn't think of one on his own so, "Okay I got one," he started._

_"What's one sign your partner is in need of a vacation?"_

_She smiled, "What?"_

_"…When he keeps asking you if his bullet proof vest makes him look fat." _

_There was silence for a moment and Kakashi was starting to think that she didn't get his work joke either until a snort of laughter rung from Rin and she collapsed backwards on the couch. It made him smile and just to keep her laughing, he continued._

_"Or when he starts exchanging donut recipes with complete strangers," he added._

_Rin was holding her sides now._

_"…Or when he keeps handcuffing himself by accident."_

_"Kakashi…enough…enough…I can't breath."_

_"Or every Tuesday he insists that it's his turn to be the siren."_

_"Enough," she laughed and continued to hold onto her sides._

_And he stopped there because he just couldn't see what was so amusing. He guessed it's because he took his job seriously, but he knew jokes when he heard them, and well, those jokes he just told were kind of funny, not to him, but okay-funny._

_Once again, Rin calmed down and sat up from her fallen-over-with-laughter episode._

_"God, Kakashi, you should tell more jokes more often," she insisted. _

_Kakashi sighed, "No I'll keep that to you…," he smiled._

_A silence took over them again as they just enjoyed each others company. Sipping on warm coffee and just being there._

_"Oh, Obito asked about you today," Rin told him._

_"He did?"_

_"Yeah, he wanted me to ask you if you would come in at his school on Friday for 'Parents' Career Day' or something like that."_

_That caught Kakashi off guard. Him a parent and a room full a pre-teens and him talking about his career._

_"What," he asked; he had to make sure he heard her correctly._

_"Yeah, it caught me by surprise too. I asked him why he didn't want to ask you himself, but he just shrugged and told me to ask you."_

_"Ah." It was all he could say, the fact that Obito wanted him to come in, as a parent, still rattled him. He never thought of himself as a parent but…did he want kids of his own one day?_

_"So…" Rin punctuated._

_"So…?"_

_"Are you going to go? Obito seemed really excited when he asked me."_

_"Uh, yeah…sure."_

_"Good," she smiled and got off the couch. Kakashi followed suit. _

_"Well, I'm going to go…" she shook her empty coffee cup and nodded towards the empty coffee pot._

_"…No more coffee, no reason to stay and chat," she smiled. "See you later?"_

_"Sure." He walked her to his door and opened it for her. She turned around and pecked him on the cheeks._

_"Thanks, Kakashi…for everything, for being there for Obito…for being a good friend…for…just being there." _

_She turned back around and left to go to her own apartment. He closed his door after hearing hers and leaned on it. He smiled to his self and walked over to his stove to cut off the light._

Kakashi smiled at the memory, but frown for the memory and what was lost. Gosh, he just wished he could end these feelings. He wished he had one more chance… he wished for a lot of things. He looked around his empty home and he knew what he had to do.

He needed to get out…now.

He found a clean shirt on his dresser, put on his jacket, grabbed his keys and exit out his door. Being cooped up in his apartment wasn't doing him any good and he wasn't sleep in the first place, so driving around the city was his best bet.

He ended up at the police department. He sat in the parking lot for about thirty minutes and thirty more minutes after that before he left out his car and into the building. Upon entering, he went straight to the detective sector and into the small cubicle where all his hard work was place on the small billboard on its wall. They had everything about the victims and they went back to question more people about the victims and still nothing. They had nothing and it was started to go cold again, just like Obito's. He couldn't lose to this case too, he don't think he could handle it again. Just what was he doing wrong?

He looked at the set of photos on the board for answers, mostly at Obito's.

Taking all the notes from under each photos, he read through them, one by one and over and over.

Nothing.

Frustrated, he buried his hands in his hair and pulled, hard.

His anger was a constant emotion now-a-days. He visited its sensation more times than any human being on earth should in one lifetime, but today, tonight, all he felt was hurt…sorrow. What was he suppose to do? Nothing was going his way and it hurts…it really hurts.

He looked up at the photos and then at the ceiling, more toward the sky itself, but he really didn't care at the moment. Something was pulling at him, in the inside, pulling from somewhere deep down and it was unbearable to keep in. His chest was feeling most of it and his throat was following. His stomach turned and he thought he was going to be sick, but once again a deep, painful feeling was making itself know from his chest, up to his throat and he had to let it out.

"I..." he began."… handled my family's death, I handled with being alone for most of my life, but I can't handle this," he whispered to no one in particular but to some form or another, a higher being.

"Aren't I a good person? Haven't I brought down most of the _scum_ that swore to take this city and make it into some kind of hell?"

He was feeling it now, anger again.

"I don't understand? Don't good people get good things?"

He looked back at the photos, at Obito's.

"I didn't ask for them. I didn't ask for you to bring Rin and Obito into my life and then have them taken away from me, _so_ easily after I found…" his throat closed up on him, he had to swallow to get it to open again…it was hard. So…so, so hard.

"…after I found some peace with them. Something I can call my own and I thought they would be there forever. He was a good person, so why was he taken away from me?"

This was excruciating. He didn't know what to feel, didn't know how to feel and the more he let out the more he just wanted to pull it back in. _How was coming here was going to help_, he thought. It just left him feeling vulnerable and tired…he was tired and he just wanted all of it to stop, but his mouth just kept moving and words just keep coming out. And in the back of his mind, he realized that there was something itching at his eyes, but stubbornly, he kept them at bay.

"Tell me what I am doing wrong, just tell me," chokingly asked.

He needed something to hold, he needed something to grab and the notes he read so formatively came in handy. He twisted and he pulled at the papers he crumbled in his hands and god, it wasn't enough.

"**JUST TELL ME what I'm doing _wrong_ and I'll _fix _it**," he yelled at the sky. His breathing wasn't working for him; it just made everything much worst.

"I can't…," he swallowed. "I can't keep going like this. It hurts so much."

"I don't ask for anything. But, why, why is he getting away? Why can't I find anything on him? What am I missing? I know the victims; I know their likes, their dislikes, and their hobbies, what else is there to know?"

"I can't let them down," he pointed to the photos. "They're counting on me and I can't…let them down."

His body was shaking with rage…fear…with pain and it scared him. It left him speechless and he was collapsing. He placed his head on the table and shook.

The lights were cut on, he barely acknowledge them. His body still wreck from the inside and he still had things to say.

"Give me a sign," he whispered into the table. "I just need a sign…please."

"Kakashi," a voice spoke from the door of the cubicle. Kakashi didn't raise his head nor did he flinch when a firm hand was placed on his shoulders.

"Give me something," he said and his body let go…tired as it was, he fell asleep from his own emotional exhaustion.

Asuma watched as his friend's body went limp. He looked around the cubicle and saw paper and whatnots on the floor.

He had called his partner/friend's house for the pass hour or so and he didn't get an answer, it was the same when he tried calling that morning and the days before that.

"Kakashi," he sighed as he cleaned the mess his friend made and called his other friends. They were all worried about him, he was just glad that he figured out that this was the one place his friend would go to when he was in grief. He had seen the look on his face when their extra questioning came out with nothing, but Kakashi wasn't the one to give up, he just worked his self too hard. He didn't think all those nights he left his friend to work late were for his own selfishness. They weren't friends since academy for nothing, either, he knew Kakashi's predicament and he knew, now that it was now taking its toll.

Sighing once more, he maneuvered his friend out the building and into his own car, where he drove his partner home.

Placing Kakashi in his bed, Asuma left out the room and into the small living room, where he situated his self on the couch. In the morning, they would figure things out, but for right now, he and his friend needed their rest. They needed time to clear their minds and then things would come to them, much easier. It would come to his friend much easier that way, so much easier.

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**AN: **So Kakashi finally broke down, he needed it though. He kept things bottled up and well, the lack of sleep helped with him to open up. He was too tired to try and hold back what he really needed.

How was the jokes... I know, I know, the hospital joke wasn't all that funny, I don't know much hospital jokes. But the police joke was really funny, someone told me those the other day and I thought I might share. I hope Kakashi was in character in that scene.

So what did you think? Please review and let me know. Thank You.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **Sorry for the lack of update on this story, but here it is. This one is not as depressing as the rest, it has some humor in it and some good information, especially at the end...**A BIG CLUE**.

If you haven't notice already, I changed the genre from Suspense/Drama to Suspense/Angst. After re-reading my chapters, I've notice how...well, angry and tomenting my fanfics sounded. I hope it didn't scare off most of my reviewers. But I think it works for something like this, so the angst will stay, so you guys will know.

Enjoy

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Chapter 11

Crime Scene Comparison and Mistaken Identity

Kakashi woke to the smell of freshly made coffee, French Vanilla to be exact. He tossed over in his bed and pulled the blankets over his head, he didn't feel like getting up just yet, he was still tired. But his tiredness didn't last long as he just realized that he was at home in his own bed and not at the station. He tossed the blankets from over his head and sat straight up. His door opened at that precise time and Asuma walked in with a tray of eggs and toast and a cup of hot, steamy coffee. It was the only thing he knew how to make and truly it was the only thing he could find in Kakashi's kitchen.

"Morning, sleepy-head, I was wondering when you were going to wake up?" Asuma placed the food on Kakashi's lap and the cup on the night stand. "Hurry up and eat, the gang is waiting for you in the living room."

"Gang," Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, Kurenai and Genma, we got something to tell you."

Kakashi stared at Asuma for a moment and then he replayed what he could remember from last night, and yeah, he was sure he was still in the office before exhaustion took over, so that could only mean one thing…Asuma brought him home.

"Thanks," he proudly said and started eating his breakfast.

Asuma smiled, "Hey, you needed it," and he wasn't talking about the rest his friend so badly needed, but he knew Kakashi would know what he was talking about. He made it to the door, before turning around, "See you out in ten," he asked.

Kakashi nodded as an answer and downed his toast.

Five minutes later, Kakashi was done with his small breakfast and halfway done with his coffee. In that time, he thought over last night and sighed. He really did need that moment of release. Physically, he was drained, but in a good way, mentally he was okay, he didn't feel so stuff and pressured like he use to, so he was clear-headed, and emotionally, he was…, he was okay for now, but overall, he was doing good, not great, not perfect, just, okay for right now.

He stretched before getting out of bed, grabbing some clothes and into his bathroom, ten minutes later, he was ready and heading out his bedroom and into the living room, where he found his partners sitting around the small coffee table, papers and folders scattered all over it.

Kurenai was the first to notice him and she smiled up at him.

"How was the rest," she asked.

"Good," he said before walking in the kitchen for another cup of coffee. Once done, he sat on the couch next to Kurenai and looked over their piles of paperwork.

He noted that it was their work from the station and among other things; Obito was at the top of everything.

"What's this all about," he asked.

Asuma, who was sitting across from him in a table chair, spoke up, "We were thinking that it was best for us and for you, if we took the work somewhere else. You know a new atmosphere and not in that cramped up cubicle."

Kakashi knew the real reason though, "So Chief Tsunade found out about what I did last night?"

"Yeah…," Genma spoke, sitting in another table chair next to Asuma, "…and boy is she pissed," he laughed. "So we all thought that it was much safer if we just stayed away from the station for maybe a day or two."

Kakashi smiled, he was glad he had his friends to look out for him, especially from his short-tempered boss.

"So what's on the agenda," Kakashi asked changing the subject for something more important. It was now time to be serious. "You guys had something you wanted to talk to me about."

"Yeah," Asuma picked up a folded piece of paper and tossed it to Kakashi. "Read this."

Unfolding the paper, Kakashi read over the writings, "It's a search warrant," he stated out loud, "For both Sanko Muchi's and Obito's crime scene."

"Yeah," Asuma explained. "Since we weren't getting anywhere with our victims, we thought that maybe we should take a look at the crime scene…for comparison reason and to maybe find something that we're missing."

Asuma stopped there to stare at his friend and then at Kurenai who nodded her head for him to continue.

"But, we wanted to make sure it was okay with you, first, I mean…"

Kakashi looked away from the warrant and lift an eyebrow, telling his friend that he understood why he had his concern.

"I'll be fine, you should know that. I just needed some rest," Kakashi answered before refolding the paper and stuffing it in his pants pocket. "Let's go."

He went to the door and opened it; he grabbed his keys and a coat and left out afterwards.

The rest waited for the door to click shut before they made their own movements to head out the door. Genma grabbed the files, while Asuma shut and locked the door after everyone.

Sanko's scene was first. They had to get out and leave their cars behind to make their way to the crime scene. It was a long walk before they found the police tape surrounding the scene. It was pretty much like Obito's from what Kakashi could remember. Woody, ground wet, and bug infested, but now he was looking for something, he didn't know what, but something. They all were.

"According to the photos, Sanko's body was found here," Genma pointed to the empty ground where some trees formed a small half circle. "He was lying on his back, and according to autopsy and forensic entomology reports; he was dead and placed here for a week before police found him."

"Who discovered him," Kakashi asked, he wasn't too familiar with Muchi's case than he was with Obito's.

"A jogger, one morning, he was…" Genma trailed off, he looked around and then pointed at a path some feet away from where they were standing. "…he was jogging down that path when he saw the body and called the police using his cell phone."

Kakashi nodded, making a mental note of everything. He looked up at the path and noted that it was narrow and distinguished that no cars or trucks could travel on it. That was proven when they had to park their car some distance away from where the path and the scene were found.

"He would have had to carry the body unseen into the woods," Kakashi stated.

"So he dumped the body at night," Kurenai added.

"It would have been a very long walk to carry someone for that distance, he would have to rest a couple of times," Asuma made clear.

And it wasn't the fact that Sanko Muchi could have been a heavy person, his weight was an average one hundred-fifteen pounds for his age group, it was the fact that from where they had to leave their cars and the long walk they had to take to get to the crime scene was a long walk, a very long walk.

"It was night, he carried the boy's body for some distance…alone, but how could he see in the dark. He had to have had a flashlight, but how could he handle a flashlight and a body at the same time," Kakashi wondered.

"It could be possible," Kurenai debated. "I mean if he carried the boy on one side of his shoulders, it could work."

Kakashi nodded but it still didn't sound right to him. He knew a dead body was hard to handle, especially if one wanted to be discreet and hasten, and their number one factor was that the distance was too long for anyone to be in quick and hurry all by themselves. It didn't make sense.

"But still it doesn't make sense," he made clear soon afterwards after taking quick glances at the trees surrounding them. He couldn't see their cars and the path didn't start by any roads, it started somewhere in the distance in the middle of nowhere in the woods.

"He had an accomplice," Genma questioned.

Now that made sense, Kakashi thought. The perpetrator could quickly carry a body somewhere fast that way, and another person could hold a flashlight while the other person carried the body. They could even take turn carrying the body, it made perfect sense.

"Perfect," Kakashi blurted out. "If they wanted to be in a rush, two people could do the job. Okay, so now why this place out of all other places? It's not noticeable by everyone, which explains why he chose it to be cautious, but it is so off from everything else, from roads, from civilization. I bet only a handful of people really jogs here, but still the chances of discovery would be a low minimum."

"Not to mention that he must have really looked this place up in order to really find this place," Asuma suggested.

"Or he could be a jogger or he could have lived here for a while to have known about this place," Kurenai pondered.

"All good suggestions," Kakashi told his friends. They were really getting somewhere and not just about the crime scene itself, but about the perpetrator as well.

"Obito's," Genma inquired.

"Yeah," the three agreed.

Obito's crime scene turned out to be no different. Everything down to a "T" was just like the other scene, just in different locations. It was far from the city which was their biggest clue and the body was dumped completely off course from any roads or trails that could be taken by a car, once again suggesting that the perpetrator could have been a local or did some research on secluded places. One thing was different from Obito's scene than from Sanko's, there was no path and no joggers came around to jog here. But someone had to have found the body somehow, a call was made, according to their records, but it was made by an unknown person. The call was traced to a payphone at the corner of the police station, which in itself was scary, because when they looked over the street cameras videos, it showed no one at the phone booth and the video was looked at twice.

They headed back to Kakashi's place to sum up what they had found and discovered. By the time they discussed and wrote everything down, it was already late in the evening and sleep was making itself known between the detectives.

"Let's call this a night, I'm sure you guys are really tired," Kakashi offered.

"You sure," Genma asked during a yawn, he stretched, his body protesting with a popping sound from his back.

"Yeah, we can finish it tomorrow."

They all gathered up their supplies and Kakashi kept the folders at his place. Asuma was the last to leave.

"You going to be okay," he asked Kakashi before he left though.

Kakashi gave him a small smile and a nod.

"Good because I don't want to have to carry you when you faint again."

A pillow was thrown his way, but Asuma had already shut the door by then.

Kakashi stayed up that night, just to go over everything one more time. He couldn't get over the whole thought that they couldn't figure out who called about discovering Obito's body. And the tape from the street camera must have been tampered with because there was no way a phone call could be made by a mysterious being, it just wasn't possible.

With a yawn, he made his way to bed. There was nothing he could do now but he would look into it when he went back to work the following day.

Two days later, Kurenai burst into the Detective Division doors, startling everyone. She was flushed and her breathing was labored. In her hand she pressed sheets of papers towards her chest; she waited until her breathing had calmed down before she dropped her hands to her sides.

Looking around the big office, she spotted Asuma at his desk, looking over some files on his computer. She quickly walked over to him and dropped the papers on his desk. He looked up from his computer and eyed the documents.

"Where's Kakashi," she asked, she still sounded out of breath but not by much.

"Uhm, he's in the evidence storage room. Chief Tsunade put him there as punishment for messing up the cubicle. Why?"

She picked up the papers and headed out the doors towards the evidence room. Asuma followed close behind her, asking what the papers were for.

"I think I might have found something, but I want Kakashi to hear about it first," she told him. She turned a corner, Asuma not too far behind and opened some other doors. They found Kakashi in a chair behind a screened window, connected to the storage room; he looked up from his clipboard of which he was checking off the list of the items needed for evidence/Crime scene kits and how many items were in the evidence room.

"I hope you guys burst in here to help," Kakashi sarcastically asked.

"No, better," Kurenai answered and handed Kakashi the sheets of paper under the screen window.

Kakashi put down his clipboard on the counter and picked up the papers, he read them over. On each page his eyes would lighten up as a huge smile formed on his face.

"Where did you get this," he asked when he was finish reading the documents.

Kurenai smiled, "I had a friend from the academy who works with the FBI, and she's in the records department with them. I had her look up a certain name and this is what she pulled up."

"Had who look up whom? What's on the papers? And Kurenai, since when did you know anyone from FBI," Asuma asked, being left out wasn't something he liked so much.

Kakashi walked out from the storage room door and handed Asuma the papers, a smile still on his face, but it lessened some.

Asuma read it, "Oh. My. God."

"My exact same words," Kakashi stated. "Orochimaru isn't his real name."

* * *

**AN: **Wow, Orochimaru isn't his real name, man I wonder what it is? Hehe

I really wasn't going to put that in there, but I thinks it worked. I'm not sure how the whole process goes with changing your name, but I know people can do it, so here it is in my fanfic. Something I want you guys to know, the next two chapters will solely be about Sasuke, in a flashback of his life. This reason is because I couldn't put all that has happened to Sasuke in bits and pieces through his scenes, so I'm making two chapters out of it, Two-flashback chapters for our boy Sasuke. I got this whole idea and I think it will help you guys to understand him better and why he acts the way he does. I hope you will like it.

You know what to do, Review so I'll know if you like it or not, I said please didn't I? PRETTY PLEASE.

**Oh**, one more thing, I was wondering if I should put up a chapter summarizing all the clues and hints mentioned in this fanfic so far. You can either email me or put your answer in your review, just let me know, okay.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: **Hey, sorry for the long awaited update, but I had school work to finish, but I came back with a long chapter to make up for it.

Like I said before the next two chapters will be on Sasuke's past (this chapter and the next). This is so you, the readers and reviewers, can get to know Sasuke a little better.

I will put up the summing of the clues after Chapter 13, so don't worry, I haven't forgot about those.

**Warning: **Like in the first chapter, I warned that there will be mentioned of suicide, well, it's in this chapter. Also the theme to this chapter is tragic...it's very sad and I cried when I was done with it. So if you can't finish it, it's okay, take your time. Really this is a very sad chapter, so beware.

But I hope you like it, and I hope you can stick through these two chapters, because they're, you know, on tough issues and I tried to keep my stories as accurate as possible when it is on issues like these...it make them seem real with this being a fictional writing (fanfic), especially the emotional parts (that's what made me cry when I was done writing it), but please enjoy, it is for your reading pleasure.

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Chapter 12

Sasuke's Past: A Child's Tragedy -Part: 1 (Flashback)

"I would like to say, that this young man was everything a father would like to call his son. He deserves this player of the year award for not only from the appreciation of his team, but of his family too for raising such a fine gentleman. So without further ado, I would like to give this to…," the coach paused for effect. Some of the parents and teens were groaning for him to hurry up. "I would like to give this award to Itachi Uchiha," the coach finished, he held up a trophy along with the award for everyone to see. Cheers and applauds scattered in the room as Itachi got up from his row in front of the many parents, teachers, and young teens and children to walk up the stage to receive his award. He raised both items above his head to show his appreciation and the cheers got louder.

One cheer was particularly the loudest and could be heard from a table not too far away from the stage, it was done by none other than Itachi's little brother Sasuke Uchiha.

"YAY, ITACHI," the seven year old cheered, standing up in his chair so his brother could really see him. He was short for his age, but he felt tall whenever he was excited, especially when it was about his brother.

"WHOO," he whooped his brother on.

"Sasuke get down before you hurt yourself," his mother reprimanded, pulling on his black suit pants. He climbed down, but still chose to make his present seen by his brother by running off towards the stage so he could see his brother climb down the stairs and off the small platform.

He watched, bouncingly as Itachi shook some of the adults' hands including the mayor of the city, he got slaps on the back by his baseball teammates, and a much bigger slap on the back from his coach.

"Congratulation, Itachi, you deserve it," the coach stated.

"Thanks, coach," Itachi put on a smile. The coach walked off to meet up with his own son and family to also congratulate his son for his award for being an exceptional player on the team.

"Itachi," Sasuke yelled as he ran up to his brother and gave him a big hug. He could have stayed like that forever, but he knew his brother would need air sooner or later so he let go and gave his brother the biggest, enormous smile his small face could muster. Itachi pat his little brother on the head, smiling to satisfy him.

"Itachi," their mother yelled as she made her way through the crowd, her husband was right there behind her, smiling for his son. Everyone was leaving now; the award given to Itachi was the main event of the ceremony. Itachi was, of course, glad for it to be over anyway, he really didn't feel like attending the event in the first place, but his parents thought he should go…the value of showing off in front of everyone, to show just how perfect their family was, at least in his father's point of view.

"Oh, Itachi, I'm so proud of you," his mother hugged him.

"Let me see it," Sasuke asked, talking about the medium size trophy with a batter on top of it. He grabbed it out of his brother hand and admired the prize. "Wow."

"Careful," his father took the trophy from his small hands and handed it back to his eldest son. "You could have broken it."

"No, I wouldn't," Sasuke whined, pouting that he couldn't have held the prize longer and that his father thought that he would have broken something of his brother's. He wouldn't, he knew he wouldn't.

"Itachi…, son, " Fugaku place his hand on his son's shoulders, "You make a father proud. I want you to keep up the good work, be the best at everything and anything." He hugged his son, "I'm so very proud of you."

"Honey, you're embarrassing him," Mikoto stated as she pulled her husband off their son. "We should go celebrate," she offered.

"Oh, let's go for ice cream," Sasuke suggested, forgetting that he was mad just a few minutes ago. "We haven't been to the ice cream shop for a while, since last year, please." He turned to his brother, "Please can we go."

"Sure," Itachi smiled.

"Yay," Sasuke ran off to find the door, leaving his parents and his brother behind.

Mikoto sighed, "We better go get him before he runs off too far. Come on, Fugaku, you know how he gets when he's excited." They then left, leaving the last member of their family behind.

Itachi kept the smile in place for as long as he could, at least, until he couldn't see his family anymore. It was starting to get harder and harder to keep one on nowadays.

With a sigh, he grudgingly walked the path he saw his family took, gripping his trophy a little tighter as someone next to him congratulated him for a job well done.

Some months later…

Sasuke found himself with his brother at the park. They were in an open field that was surrounded by trees that opened up to the blue sky. Sasuke lied next to his brother watching the clouds go by as the wind ruffled their hair.

He smiled, he love these moments with his brother, they did a lot together. Like earlier today, Itachi showed him how to play baseball, well batting and they tossed the baseball around and that was it. But Itachi became tired and suggest that they lie down for a bit. They found this place, an open field, and they've been relaxing ever since.

He loved it.

But Sasuke sighed, worriedly, before turning his head towards his brother. He had his eyes closed and there was a simple look on his face. Something Sasuke noticed his brother was always expressing lately. It was something he recently started to notice and it bothered him. He was beginning to wonder if his time with his brother was becoming a burden for his brother. _Did he want to spend time with me_, he thought, frowning a little. _Was he even happy with being here with me_? He had to know.

"Itachi," his small voice asked. "Are you happy? I mean with…you know…with me."

Itachi slowly opened his eyes, peering over at his little brother who was looking intently at him, he sighed.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"I mean, we use to do stuff and you would seem happy. I could see it. We did a lot of things, like you would take me to the movies, to the arcade, play video games with me…and you would be happy," Sasuke explained. His voice cracking just a tad as his little mind pictured the good times, but was replaced with his brother just closing his self in his room for hours and spent less time with him. "But now, all you do is sleep or close yourself in your room. You don't eat with the family anymore and you hardly spend time with me. The only reason you came with me today was because I had to ask mom to ask you to take me."

Itachi looked away from his brother's soulful eyes and looked up at the sky as his brother continued.

"Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Do you hate me...Do you still love me, brother," Sasuke questioned, sitting up so he could scoot closer to his brother. "Are you happy?"

Itachi rubbed his hands through his hair and sat up. He sighed and thought about his brother's question. _Was he happy_, he thought. It's been a long time since he had felt happy he knew that. He hadn't smile in God knows how long, he knew that for sure. And he hadn't laughed, not truly since forever, and that he definitely knew he did not do. He snorted a little; it was so obvious he's surprise Sasuke was just now asking him about it.

No, he wasn't happy. So many things were starting to loss their interest to him and he wanted nothing to do with a lot of things. He tries a lot, though, to keep his family happy. They ask a lot of him that he just couldn't handle anymore, (do your best in school, be all you can be on the team, make the family proud), not perfectively anyway. Stressful at times, depressing at others times, he just couldn't deal with it anymore. His energy was spent on being the perfect son, student, and brother that by the end of the day, he was left tired and the request-demands-keeps coming. So no, Sasuke he wasn't happy, not at all.

"Yes, Sasuke," he lied. "I'm happy… for you and for mother and father, I'm always happy."

Sasuke looked at him skeptical at first, but then his eyes shined and he smiled.  
"And I don't hate you," he continued. _Just tired…_. "I just have a lot on my mind." _Planning…_

And he smiled for his brother to make everything seem true. Sasuke smile grew bigger, "I knew you were happy, Itachi." He then went to hug his older brother, who hugged him back to assure him.

A year and a half later…

"I quitting the baseball team," Itachi stated one night at dinner. A fork clattered on a plate and silence took over the room.

"What," his father finally questioned.

"I'm. Quitting. The. Team."

"But why, Itachi, you're so good. Why would you want to quit," his mother asked.

Sasuke just stared up at his brother from across the table, everybody stared.

"I just don't like it anymore," was Itachi's answer.

"So you just decide to quit the team, without asking us first," Fugaku argued, his voice rising in volume.

"Yes."

There was silence and more staring.

Sasuke looked around the table, seeing his father face turn red from anger and his mother's face contorted in confusion. He looked at Itachi and his face was as plain as ever. No emotions, no nothing, he was sitting there with his head down, looking at his untouched dinner.

"You're not quitting that team, you hear me," Fugaku demanded, making his youngest son jump as he slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes. "We worked hard in getting you on that team. We accomplished…"

"Don't you mean I worked hard in getting on that team, dad," Itachi finally looked up from his plate, eyeing his father for the first time since forever. "I work hard at everything; you just get to bask in the glory. I make the points; I'm the one hitting the ball, making the homeruns every season. What did you do dad? What goals did you make in life to live up to mine? What did you have the guts to accomplish at, besides kissing your own father's butt…?"

Mikoto gasped while her husband stood up and slammed another fist down on the table, making his youngest son jump again.

"That's enough young man, go to your room," Fugaku yelled.

"What, did I hit a nerve, dad…"

"Itachi, please," his mother pleaded.

"You never did _anything_, it was _always_ me. You couldn't do anything so you put it _on_ me. You can't play, so I had to, you couldn't work hard for what you want, so I had to do it for you. And what do you get out of it…a name…a freaking name to be put up there on plaques for everyone to see. Well guess what dad… it's not your name they're admiring, it's mine…and mine only…"

"Itachi," Sasuke finally voiced, it was small and trembling. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm done with dinner, I'm going up to my room," and he left from the table, leaving only the empty chair he once occupied.

Once again, silence took over the room, no staring this time, only confusion.

"Sasuke go to your room," his father said.

"But, what's wrong with…"

"I said GO," Fugaku yelled.

Sasuke didn't move at first, just looked up at his father who turned his head away and rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. He looked over at his mother, she too turned her head, but she did so, so he wouldn't see her tears.

Sasuke didn't like it. They were excluding him, pushing him away; all he wanted to know was what was wrong with his brother. Why did he say those things? Why was there so much yelling? Was it his fault?

"Just go, sweetie," his mother's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Your father and I have some things to discuss."

He nodded his small head and headed up the stairs to his room. Before walking to his room, to the right, he looked over at his brother's closed door. Softly, he walked over to it and knocked, three times.

"Itachi," he whispered. "May I come in?" He knocked three times again, calling out his brother's name.

Sasuke pressed his ear against the door, and knocked again.

Suddenly, a blast of music burst in from his brother's room, scaring poor Sasuke. He stepped back, shocked and a little hurt that his brother was ignoring him. He checked the door knob and found that it was locked.

Not wanting to be a bother and have his brother angry at him, he turned and headed back to his room. He lied down in bed to hear his parents yelling from down stairs and his brother's music from across the hall. That was only the beginning of Sasuke's sorrow.

Some months later, Sasuke walked into his brother's room to find Itachi on top of his bed, the curtains were pulled shut, making the room darker than it should be. He walked over to the bed's edge and kicked at his brother's feet.

"Itachi wake up," he spoke softly.

Itachi groaned as he turned over in bed, his back facing his little brother.

"Itachi, you promised me that you would take me batting," he stated, walking to the other side of the bed so he could face his brother.

"I'll take you later, just let me sleep," Itachi muffled into his pillow.

"You said that last time and last time is up, now get up," Sasuke started to pull at his brother's arm, getting him halfway off the bed before Itachi finally sat up.

"Alright, okay, just give me a second," he said yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Sasuke smiled and headed downstairs to get his stuff ready, well more like Itachi's stuff. He grabbed a duffle bag and place Itachi's baseball cleats, some balls, and his bat in the bag, zipping it and placing it by the front door and waited in the living room for his brother to show up.

And he waited and waited, and waited until he finally heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He ran out the living room and stood at the foot of the steps to see Itachi not even ready, he still had on his night shirt and he wasn't even wearing any shoes.

"Itachi, you're not ready, but I've been waiting for you for thirty minutes. Why aren't you dress," he demanded to know, getting a little frustrated that his brother was taking his slow time, if that's what he was doing.

"I don't feel like it today, Sasuke, go without me."

"I can't go by myself, I need someone to drive me and you're the only one home." It was true, both his mother and father worked late, now… ever since that incident a few months ago. Itachi did quit the team, like he said he would and his grades began to slip, the principal and some of the teachers had to call home to explain to his parent of Itachi's sudden lack of interest in school, since then his parents were never home. They spent a lot of time at work lately and Itachi was always in his room. He guessed it was because of the many phone calls and because of Itachi disruptive mood changes. He heard one time during his parents lately arguments, one night, that Itachi was changing and that they couldn't stand looking at him at times. Sasuke felt sorry for his brother, because now his own parents didn't want to see him. And all Sasuke could do was blame himself. Nobody talked to him anymore, and he keeps getting pushed away, just like how Itachi was doing now.

"Take the bus," Itachi finished climbing down the stair and took Sasuke's hand. "Here, take this, its bus money enough to the park and back." And he started back up the stairs.

"B-But, you're not coming, I'll be by myself, what if something happens," Sasuke whined.

"You're the one who wanted to go to the stupid park to play some stupid baseball; it'll be your fault if something happens to you."

Sasuke gasped, more from Itachi yelling at him than from his insensitive words. He didn't know what to do with himself after that, he looked at the change in his hand, then at his feet, and then at the change again…he just didn't want to cry, he's done enough of that in his own room.

He heard Itachi sigh before he felt the arms around him, embracing him as his body shook from him trying to hold back his tears.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said, letting go of his little brother.

He walked pass him to the front door to pick of the duffle bag.

"I want you to have these," he handed the duffle bag to Sasuke. He then unzipped the bag and took out the bat. Walking into the kitchen pulled out a knife and went back to his brother by the stairs.

"I wont be needed them anymore," Itachi explained as he carved his name into the bat and admiring it when he was done. He then handed it to his brother.

"Something to remember me by when I'm gone," he said, placing the knife on the table.

Sasuke frown at that sentence, 'something to remember him by,' he glanced up at his brother. Itachi only smiled, a little and ruffled his little brother's black locks. And then out of nowhere, he gave him another hug, but much tighter than the first.

"I love you, Sasuke, always remember that."

Sasuke was confused, but he hugged back just as tightly as his brother, "I love you too."

It scared him saying those words, now more than anything. They sounded so…final.

Itachi pulled away and looked Sasuke up and down, smiling and then frowning on occasion.

"You're old enough, eight and a half is the perfect age to define that you're growing up, you just have to take that chance, Sasuke. Go on to the park, take the money, use it for the bus to go to the park and back, okay."

Sasuke nodded, pocketing the change in his pants and picking up the duffle bag. He really didn't want to leave his brother, but he also didn't want to stay. Itachi was acting weirder than usual and it scared him, big time.

"Okay," Sasuke whispered.

Before Sasuke closed the front door, he heard his brother call out to him to have fun and not to worry.

It only made him worry even more.

By the time he came home, it was already getting dark out. He noticed that his parents' car weren't outside so they hadn't made it home yet, he wouldn't get into trouble.

Dropping the duffle bag on the floor, next to the front door, he called out to his brother.

"Itachi, I'm home."

He was happy, for once, he had hit the ball really high at the park today and he wanted to tell Itachi, he wanted to let him know that he was just as good at baseball as his older brother.

Running upstairs, he turned to his brother's room, hearing soft music before he opened the door to find his brother lying on the bed, sleep.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, he figured his brother would be sleeping, he was always sleeping.

"Itachi guess what," he asked, walking to the bed, kicking at Itachi's feet, in which his brother turned over to his side, his back facing him.

He walked over to the other side of the bed so he was facing his brother, "Itachi wake up." He shook him this time and Itachi turned so he was lying on his back. Sasuke climbed into the bed, shaking his brother a little harder, Itachi only groan.

Leaning over so he was at his brother's ear, Sasuke whispered, "I hit the ball really high today," he leaned back to see his brother's expression, there was none. And Sasuke frowned.

"You're always sleeping Itachi," but he went to lie down next to his brother anyway, scooting close so his head was lying on his chest.

He missed this, just him and his brother, spending time together, just the two of them, happy. He remembered the open field at the park and how they laid in the grass for hours, just relaxing.

Smiling despite himself, he shuffled up closer to his brother and closed his eyes, remembering all the good times they use to share. Faintly, he could hear his brother's heart beat; it lured him to sleep as he felt Itachi slightly pull him close in his arms.

Unnoticed to Sasuke, as sleep took him in, there was an empty bottom of prescription medicine on Itachi's night stand; next to it was glass of water and a note, signed by Itachi to his family.

By the time Sasuke woke, it was already too late…

He opened his eyes to find his brother's chest in his face. He squirmed out of his brother's embrace to get up and stretch; he rubbed his small hands over his eyes and then looked around, his eyes landed on his brother's face and how pale it looked than usual.

"Itachi," he asked, turning to face his brother, shaking him just a little. "Itachi wake up."

His brother didn't move, not an inch, not even to turn over on his side.

"It's late, you've been sleeping all day, and it's time to wake up."

He waited, seeing if his brother would move or if he would groan…something.

Swallowing, he shook his brother again, panicking when nothing happened. He shook him harder this time.

Nothing…

"Itachi…wake up."

He placed his hand on his brother's chest and noticed nothing was happening. Gasping, he laid his head on his brother chest and he heard nothing.

For awhile there, he just lied there with his head on his brother's chest, eyes wide and shaking.

_What do I do?_

_Why isn't he waking?_

It was hard for him to breathe, air wasn't getting to him like it should, and something in his throat was making it so much harder to breathe. Lifting his head, he looked at his brother's face, it was emotionless again, and he couldn't see anything. His small hands reached for his brother's cheeks and rubbed them…they were cool to the touch.

He pulled his hands back, a whimper leaving his mouth before he had time to close it.

His head was placed back on his brother's chest again and he listened.

_Nothing…_

_Why nothing…_

_Where is it, why isn't it making any noise?_

His chest hurt, he didn't understand, he touched his own chest, and felt his own heart beating, it was beating fast and it hurts. He then placed that same hand over his brother's and he felt nothing.

_Where is it?_

"Itachi wake up…please," he cried feeling the tears roll down the side of his face and into his brother's shirt. He sat up, looking at his brother again. His own hand shook as he placed them on his brother's shoulders, and gripped as hard as he could.

"WAKE UP," he yelled, more like screeched, because the lump in his throat was making talking that much harder too, his breathing was doing no better.

"ITACHI…please," he leaned over and cried into his brother's shirt, climbing on top of his body so he could warm it up. He was feeling cold too, just as cold as Itachi's had become.

"I'm scared," he whispered, hoping that admitting that that his brother would wake up soon. "I don't know what to do," he cried.

His whole body shook, fear consumed him because he couldn't do anything.

Then anger took over. He balled his fist and hit his brother on the chest, and then he took his other one and hit his brother on the shoulder. He hated his brother for not waking up, leaving him to cry because he couldn't wake his brother up. He didn't want to cry anymore, but here he was crying.

"WAKE UP…Itachi, please," he pound into the chest below him, his face still buried in his brother's chest. He kept hitting and hitting until he heard the bedroom door opened.

"Sasuke," his father voice called to him.

Sasuke quickly sat up and turned to his father, still over his brother, fists still balled up into his brother's shirt.

"He won't wake up," he cried.

His father looked passed him and down as his sleeping son. He noticed that his eldest was a little pale and that his chest wasn't moving.

"Itachi," he called out, calmly but a little chokingly. Sasuke noticed his mother walked to the door, but stopped when she saw her son's face.

"Sasuke, what's the matter, sweetie," she asked watching her husband walk further into the room and over to their other son. Sasuke had got off the bed and ran to his mother, hugging her, tightly.

"He won't wake up."

"Itachi," he heard his father yell some as he looked down at his eldest son.

Sasuke buried his face into his mother's embrace as he felt her gasped.

"Itachi, stop fooling around, wake up, you're scaring your brother," Fugaku demanded. He got closer to the sleeping boy and shook him, "Itachi."

There was a pause between them, for a moment as Fugaku just stared at Itachi, noticing everything in the room, the dark curtains, the soft music, the night stand, the open bottom and the glass of water. And everything started to click in.

"ITACHI," he yelled, worried in his tone of voice. "Call 911," he yelled at his wife, but she didn't move. She just realized the situation and she couldn't move.

Fugaku sat his son up off the bed and shook him, violently.

"Wake up, son. Come on, I need for you to open your eyes… Please, daddy needs for you to wake up now."

Mikoto released her youngest son and stepped out into the hallway were she collapse into a heap on the floor. She screamed and yelled, crying that this wasn't happening.

"GOD NO," she screamed, covering her face in her arms as she continued to yell. "NOOOO…"

Sasuke slowly turned around so that now he was facing his brother and father again. His fists were at his mouth, covering it as his tears floored down his face, his eyes opened wide. He now understood that this was bad, his parents were crying and they too did not know what to do. His brother wasn't going to wake up.

"Not my baby boy," his father pleaded. "Please, Itachi wake up, son, open your eyes, Mikoto call 911," he screamed afterwards, cradling his son in his arms.

Sasuke faintly heard his mother get up, but she didn't make it far as she collapse to the floor again, crying…screaming…yelling. "Oh God, please, not my son," he heard her cry.

They didn't know what to do.

"Daddy," Sasuke called out to his father, the endless tears continue to fall. He wanted to be held too, he needed someone to hold. He slowly walked over to his father, the tears blinding him as he reached out to his father.

"Why didn't you do anything," his father started, looking at Sasuke with hurt and shame. Sasuke back away a little, surprised by the look.

"What happened, why you didn't do anything," he asked again.

"I-I….I didn't…know," Sasuke tried to explain, but once again that lump wouldn't allow it.

_Why didn't I do anything_, he asked, _I was supposed to be here, but-but I was gone, at the park, playing…_

Sasuke backed away completely.

_This is my fault_.

His back hit the door and he slide down the wooden frame.

"I'm sorry," he cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He buried his head in his arms as they lay on top of his knees.

But what Sasuke didn't realize was that his father wasn't talking to him. His young age didn't process that bit of information correctly as the blame his father was directing was to himself, his father was blaming his self for not being there, for not seeing the signs, not wanting to see the signs, and now he sat here, holding his son in his arms, so lifeless, so cold.

"Why didn't you do anything," he cried. "Why…why…Oh, God why?"

Sasuke trembled; his muffled cries of 'I'm sorry' buried in with the others calls that flooded the room.

The family was torn that day, never piecing back, what was broken, together again after that.

* * *

**AN: **Sad I know...go ahead, shed some tears, it's okay...let them out...it's not good to keep your emotions bottled, it's just not healthy.

Okay, now that part one is over, look out for part two. It too will have some drama in it, but not as mush as part one, so that's a good thing, but it still is very touchy.

Just stick with me for the next chapter, okay. It'll be over soon and then we will be back with the main story okay.

But until then REVIEW and let me know what you thought, Please and thank you.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: **Finally, I can put this chapter up. Sorry for the delay, but my Document for submitting a chapter wouldn't work. I had to write the support administrators to figure out the problem and I guess they got it because they fixed it.

After this chapter, there will be the Clues and Answer entry, so be prepare for that and if you have any questions you want to ask me, be sure to put it in your review or you can just email me and I'll answer those for the entry as well.

For those who are waiting on A Long Lost Uchiha to update, well, sadly, you will have to wait a little bit longer on that to be updated, at least until next week, I have my Criminal Justice report to do and I need to finish that up before I can wrote for A.L.L.U. But don't be discourage, I'll make it up to you by writing a nice **long** entry for the chapter, okay...believe me, after this report is done, I'll have enough time to write on it and more.

I would like to thank everyone who have reviewed, really, thanks, I appreciate all of them.

Anyway, ENJOY

Oh, but I have to say this, there's a lot of crying in this chapter. I had to put it in because, well, it's about a family mourning, and when you mourn, you cry, well at least I do.

ENJOY

* * *

Chapter 13

Sasuke's Past: A Home is a Broken Soul- Part 2

"How does it make you feel, knowing that your brother is gone," the psychiatrist asked, making little notes in his large note pad. He sat in a cushioned chair behind his desk as he, every now and then would look up at the fourteen year old in front of him.

The fragile teen said nothing.

He's been seeing the boy for about six years now, and the boy has yet to say anything. But he has made progress, Sasuke would look at him now and that was a good thing, he was acknowledging him, more than how he use to when he first arrived in his office. Shaken, crying, grieving, the boy was a mess and considering his age at the time, he was only experiencing things a mourning person should or suppose to feel during a loss. But now, after six years, the boy was quiet, isolating himself from others, not grieving from what the psychiatrist could assume, but knowing the boy was in fact mourning. He just didn't know how to get the boy to open up. He didn't know what was causing this reaction and if he should be concern because the boy wasn't saying anything to confirm or deviate his suspicions, that the boy may be more than just mourning… it's not uncommon for a person who loss someone close to them to feel suicidal, but he would like to think away from the worst and hope the boy was just…experiencing the process of a lost loved one.

He hoped.

He would just have to look for the signs, but still, he would need more to verify his suspicions and either way, the boy was still not talking.

"What's home like, now that your brother is gone," he asked, hoping that repeating the same old questions every session, for six years would finally get the boy to talk, but as the boy remain seated in his chair, mouth not moving, he could tell it wasn't working.

But in some ways, it was. It had Sasuke thinking, remembering everything…

What's home like, now that your brother is gone? …Well…

_Nine year old Sasuke sat at the table, with his parents, eating soup. _

_His large soup spoon, too big in his small hand tapped the bowl slightly as he scooped up the liquid and brought it up to his small lips. He blew on it before he slowly slurped some into his mouth and repeated the process again, careful as to not make so much of a sound in the lifeless room, afraid that he might disturb something, but wanting to say something so badly._

I'm Sorry…

_The room was quiet; no one said a word as silverware softly clattered against bowls…it was their form of communication, silence._

_He looked over at his mother. She was pale, she lost some weight these pass few months and she hardly wore make-up anymore. Her face was still beautiful though, but her sorrow was made clear as her face would frown, her lips would tremble, and her eyes, they would close for a minute or two as she kept herself from crying. But every now and then, she would gasp whenever a sob left her lips and a single tear would fall down her soulful face. She would then quickly wipe the single tear away and look to see her other son staring at her…a struggled smile was all she gave him before the process started all over again. But in between, she would glance over at the empty chair beside her and across from Sasuke and she would look away quickly, face scrunching up as crying seem like the only thing her being wanted to do now. She was always crying._

_He took another sip of his soup before he looked over at his father. He was calm out of the rest of them. He had no show of any kind of emotion, but Sasuke knew there was something there; it just doesn't want to come out. His father's hands would shake, Sasuke noticed as his father lift the spoon to his mouth, and he could only guess that his father was cold because why else would he be shaking. Not much has changed with his dad, he went on like nothing has changed and he would sometimes talk like there wasn't anything to be sad about at times. But Sasuke did notice how his father would ignore the empty chair beside him, the empty room up stairs on the left, along with all the belongings he threw into the empty room that once belonged to the person who once lived in there, and how he pulled away from anything that made him remember anything about Itachi. It was sad, but it was what his father did, everyday…ignore things and pull away._

_Sasuke looked away when he saw his father's shaking hand lift to take another spoonful of soup into his mouth, the shaking always bothered him. _

_He sipped two more mouthful of soup before his eyes wondered across the table to the vacant chair once occupied by his brother. It felt different, not having his brother around anymore. A lot has changed since his passing and Sasuke couldn't keep up. One day he was with his brother, everywhere, doing everything together, then his brother had stopped spending time with him and was in his room all the time, and then, his brother was gone, not there anymore…just gone. Sasuke didn't know what to do anymore, it was always him and his brother, or mostly his brother and him, but now, it was just him, and what was he suppose to do now._

What am _I_ supposed to do now?

_He had nothing, no point in defining him self because Itachi was gone and that left him lonely and hollow. He missed his brother and he wanted him back, now._

_His chest and throat tightened up and the tear sprung to his eyes so fast, he didn't have the time or the energy to stop them. The tears were the first to go. Waterfalls of salty liquids pour down his face. They covered his puffy cheeks and dripped down his chin in endless drops as they hit the table and soaked a puddle into the table cloth. His sobs were the next to go. He started out gasping at first, but then they became whimpers and then cries as the thought of being alone and always alone overwhelmed him. He tried covering them up, both his tears and his cries, but he only helped in spreading the tears further over his cheeks and his cries were too powerful to cover up whether he tried covering his mouth with his hands or not._

_And there, a chain-reaction began and the room wasn't as calm and quiet like it once was. His father, once calm and emotionless was now showing impatient and anger. He didn't like the crying and the tears, and the reminders; he was fed up with it. Taking his napkin from over his lap, he balled it up and slammed it on the table, parts of it landed in his soup and he stormed out the room. He headed for his car keys in the kitchen hanging on the key holder and exited out the front door, slamming the door behind him. His mother was now letting her tears free and they too were fallen in streams, but she wasn't sobbing, even though her face was trembling for her to let her own cries free. She got up from the table, calmly, picked up her bowl and headed for the kitchen, she washed her dishes and placed them in there rightful place before headed upstairs to her and her husband's room. She locked herself in there to do…Sasuke had no clue what she does in there, he never knew anything anymore._

_He continued to cry at the dinner table, calling out his brother's name as he was left alone, again, a routine him and his family did everyday. He was always alone._

_"He never liked baseball. He said so himself," he heard his mother's yelling voice from behind the door. "He hated it."_

_"How would you know, you didn't notice it until he said something," his father yelled afterwards._

_He was leaning up against the wall next to his parents' door. He had a dream, nightmare, no; memory of his brother and it scared him. It was a happy one, a time when his brother was happy. But what scared him was because he knew that memory wasn't true because his brother was never happy, just pretending. And it made him think that his brother wasn't happy with him and that was what scared him. He had left out his room to tell his mother and father but this was what he had walked upon when he reached their door. They were arguing again._

_"We were blind, how could we not see it," his mother questioned, frustratingly._

_"Let's not start this again, Mikoto. I don't want to hear it."_

_"Are you saying you don't care?"_

_"No, I'm saying I'm tired of hearing you whine about something we can't fix."_

_"He was our son, we could have done something. What did we miss? What were the signs?"_

_"Mikoto, ENOUGH."_

_There was a moment of silence between the two. Sasuke could imagine them now as he stood out in the hall. They were most likely just staring at each other. Saying things they wanted through their eyes, but afraid to voice it. He knew this because that was another way they communicated, secretly…hush and forbidden. They were blaming each other but the words never left their lips, but the thoughts were there and they both felt it, even Sasuke felt it._

_"He was our baby boy," his mother started to cry. "How didn't we notice it?"_

_There was frustrated sigh from his father before he answered, "There you go again. I'm getting tired of this Mikoto. He's gone get over it."_

_"How can you say that," Mikoto sobbed. "He was our son and you…"_

_"Our son is dead," he yelled. "Just leave it alone."_

_"How can I…I can't just leave it alone…," she sniffed. "… When I think about it everyday, every time I walk pass his room, when I smell just a swift scent of him. He's everywhere I go and he's everything I think about. I can't just leave it alone."_

_There was another moment of silence. They were probably staring again and Sasuke sighed. _That's all they ever do_, he thought as he held in the tears that wanted to appear._

_"I can't stand being in this house, right now, until you come to your senses, call me, I'll be at work," his father stated._

_"GO then," his mother was yelling again. "That's all you ever do anyway, you leave."_

_Their bedroom door opened and his father stepped out, anger written all over his face, frowning as always. Upon glancing over at his door, he stopped to look at his other son, Sasuke, who was looking at him, pleading for him to stay, and also asking him, why. He shook his head, and then sighed. He didn't look back as he walked down the stairs for his car keys, and once again, he slammed the door behind him as he left, leaving his lifeless home._

_Sasuke watched out the hallway window as his father backed out the driveway and onto the road leaving out the cul-de-sac. When his father was out of viewing range, he turned back to his parents' room and walked in. His mother was at her vanity mirror and bench set, taking the Kleenex tissues she had there to wipe at her eyes. They proved to be useless as every time she would wipe at her eyes, more tears would follow afterwards._

_"Mom," he stepped up next to her. _

_She jumped not hearing him enter her room and step up beside her._

_"Sasuke," she quickly wiped her face again, putting on a smile so he wouldn't see how sad she was. "What are you doing up? It's late, you should be in bed."_

_Sasuke just looked at her through her mirror, never once did she look up at him, he noticed that lately._

_"I couldn't sleep, I…"_

_"Oh, did you have a bad dream, sweetie?"_

_"Well, no, it was more…like…just…"_

_"Aw that's terrible. Look, why don't you go back to your room and I'll be in there in a sec to tuck you in, okay," she said while occupying herself with straightening up her accessories on her vanity furnish._

_He just stared at her through her mirror again._

_He didn't want to be tucked in his bed, he wanted his family back. He wanted her to hold him like she use to, to smile like she use to, and to say she loved him…like she use to._

Does she still love me_, he thought as what his mother said earlier came to mind. She said she only thought of Itachi, does she ever think of him._

_"Mom," he wanted to ask her, "Do you still…"_

_"Sasuke," she sounded impatient. "I said I'll be in there in a sec, just go back to bed."_

_"Okay," he whispered. He would ask her later._

_He headed out his parents' room and headed towards his own, but before he made it to his room, he glanced over at his brother's closed door. The moon, shining through the hallway window, covered it with a bluish-silver glow, partly giving it an ultimate, sincere feel to it. He glanced back over at his parents' room and sighed, his mother was crying again, he could hear her from where he was standing._

_Making his way to his room, he pulled the sheets back and climbed in bed. He sat there for a minute, staring out his own window before he lied down and closed his eyes._

_His mother never came in his room to tuck him in like she said, and his father never came back home that night either. And for that, he cried himself to sleep, wishing his brother was back so he wouldn't feel so lonely. He hated feeling lonely._

_For his tenth birthday, he got a bike he always wanted. He was finally tall enough for one and not wanting one of those small bikes with the training wheels; his dad got him one that everyone in his age group had, a mountain bike, which was ironically too big for him. But finally being able to have one, he didn't derail on it too much._

_"Thanks, dad," he whispered, hesitating about asking him his question he had in mind. "Could you teach me how to ride it," he asked soon afterwards though. He never rode a bike before, like always he was either too small or too fragile to have one, and Itachi had promise to teach him when he was big enough, but…_

_He looked up at his father and saw that he was going through a dilemma; most likely remembering those times he taught Itachi how to ride a bike. It hurt him to know that he was right, because his father said no afterwards…always avoiding the reminders._

_"Fugaku just teach him how to ride the stupid bike, it's not like you have anything else to do," his mother reprimanded him; she was in the living room, occupying herself with some cleaning._

_"It's okay," Sasuke said, not wanting to be a burden like he always was nowadays. _

_"No, he's teaching you," his mother argued and pointedly looked at her husband as if daring him to say no this time._

_"Fine," his father finally gave in. He walked passed Sasuke and headed for the door. "Get everything, I'll meet you outside," and then he left._

_With a sigh, Sasuke grabbed his helmet and rolled his bike out the house. Now, that he thought about it, he didn't feel like riding his bike, now, at least not with his dad acting that way._

_"Have fun," he heard his mother call out before he closed the door behind him. He could only hope that would be._

_"You're doing it wrong," his father chastised. "Keep the bike balance."_

_Sasuke followed his father's instructions the best way he knew how in learning how to balance a bike twice his size, but it proved to be difficult, and his father wasn't helping as much._

_His right foot reached the pedal and then his left foot left the ground to do the same, but as soon as he thought he was going to stay up this time, the bike leaned sideways and he and the bike were falling over. He landed hard on the ground, not catching himself in time to stop his fall. It was his fourth time falling off his bike and his father was becoming annoyed the more he failed at succeeding._

_"_KEEP_ the _BIKE_ balance, Sasuke. How hard is that to understand?"_

_Picking himself up, Sasuke picked the bike up and balanced it on its lever._

_"I don't want to do this anymore," he told his father, because truly, it wasn't fun. He wasn't learning anything and when he tries, all he do is get yelled at for how wrong he was doing things, it wasn't fair and he didn't like it._

_"No, you're getting on that bike and you're going to ride it," his father argued back. "You wanted to learn and that is exactly what you're doing, now, get back on that bike and stop complaining."_

_He did as he was told, grudgingly but he didn't put his feet on the pedals, he refused to do that much._

_It was a sigh from his father that had him looking his way and he saw his father rubbing the bridge of his nose. A bothered look crossed his face as another sigh made it self known between them._

_"Sasuke, I'm sorry," his father finally said. And he moved over behind Sasuke and held the seat and the handle for his son to balance the bike. "Here, let's try this again…_with_ my help, okay."_

_"O-Okay," he reluctantly said not sure if it was really his father this time. He was actually showing emotions._

_Both feet went up on the pedal and he waited. He wasn't falling over so that was a good thing and he think he has the balance now, but that could be that his dad was still holding on the seat and the front handles._

_"Okay, Sasuke, I want you to push on the pedals so the bike can start moving."_

_Sasuke nodded and he put pressure on the pedals as instructed to. His father didn't let go as the first turns of the pedals and the wheels completed. They were going at a slow pace so he could get a feel for it, but as it became easier to just push on the pedals to make the bike move, he wanted it to move faster._

_"I'm doing it," he smiled. _

_"Yes you are," he heard his father's voice from a distanced._

_It was shocking because he didn't notice his father letting go of the bike in the first place and it was even more shocking that he was actually riding his bike. This was the best thing that ever happened to him and he was actually enjoying himself._

_"I'M DOING IT," he yelled back at his dad, the smile still plastered on his face._

_He wanted to see his father's expression, to make sure he was watching, to make sure that he was still there when he needed him, so he turned his head to look behind him to only see that his father was gone. _

_He wasn't by the curb next to their house, and he wasn't on the sidewalk behind him. Sasuke looked around at nearby buildings, hoping his father was somewhere near them, but still no sign. _

_He was so occupied with finding his dad that he didn't notice the curb coming up ahead._

_The front wheel, hit first, halting his movements for a second before the back wheel lifted off the ground, bringing Sasuke's body forward. His chest hit the handle bars, hard, knocking the wind out of him and cause his head to hit the pavement…good thing he had on his helmet. The bike overturned over his body and ended somewhere above his head, his left ankle somehow got tangled up in the bars of the bike, twisting it really bad._

_He was still on the ground, when everything had stopped spinning and he noticed a car pulled up next to him. When his eyes became focused, he noticed that the car belonged to his father and that it was his father's footsteps he heard running towards him._

_"SASUKE," his father yelled._

_He felt his body being turned over and he was faced with his father just inches away from his face._

_"Son, are you hurt?"_

_He coughed, finally getting air to his lungs and shook his head no, but when he went to sit up, he felt a painful throbbing at his knee. Upon looking at it, he noticed a nasty wound on his knee, bleeding profusely. It hurt and his ankle wasn't doing any better because it too was throbbing painfully. _

_"Ow," he cried as he braced his knee under his hands. The pain was so powerful; it had tears burning at his eyes._

_His father just stood over him, watching and contemplating. He tried so hard not to think about his son, Itachi, but everything was reminding him so much of him that leaving home was the best thing for him, to him he considered. Seeing Sasuke on the bike only made memories resurface and the pain that much unbearable. Everyday, his youngest was looking so much like Itachi, it made it that much harder to look at him, to be around him, and want to hold him. He would have to tell himself that it wasn't Itachi, that this was his other son, Sasuke, but their image were so alike…Sasuke was becoming harder to distinguish from Itachi by the years. _

_Two sons, he have two sons, he has to keep telling himself that, not just Itachi, but two. But, slowly, he was hoping that it was his oldest that he was looking at, at this moment…not Sasuke, but Itachi. When he would walk into his house, he would wish it was Itachi who would greet him and not Sasuke. When he closed his eyes at night, all he saw was Itachi, not Sasuke…and he hated himself for it, he was being selfish. But he wanted his son back, he had so much he wanted to say to him, let him know that he was sorry for pressuring him and forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. He was sorry in general for making his life a living hell, if that's what Itachi felt._

_At times, he found himself angry at Sasuke for no reason, he was so confused because he didn't know if he was just angry at Sasuke or was he angry at Itachi for leaving. He hated Itachi for not having the guts to face life like a man and…he hated himself for thinking on that note as well. It was so hard, so confusing and his wife constant questioning and wondering on just what went wrong was not helping him at all. But he knows for sure, what he wanted, what he needed. When he would look at Sasuke he would always want to say it, want to ask himself, why. Why did he do it, no that wasn't it, but why did he leave them. They could have worked it out; somehow, as a father, as a family member he could count on, they could have worked it out, just what went wrong?_

_As he watched his youngest on the ground, crying his heart out from a fall, he couldn't help but imagine, Itachi. The one he missed so badly, the one he wanted to hold again and say I'm sorry to. _

_He bent down and put his arms around his son, Itachi, and held him like any father would hug a son. He embraced him, sniff the scent of him and he was remembering._

_"It's okay; I won't lose you, Itachi, my only son."_

_Sasuke stiffened, did he heard right. Here he thought his father was hugging him to make his pain go away. He was embracing him with such care and love, he hugged back and never wanted to let go. But his father's words were…_he meant my name_, he thought. He meant my name, right?_

_He started to cry harder then, he wanted to push his father away, but his dad's grip was unbreakable._

_"It's okay," his father continued to say. "It's okay Itachi."_

_They stayed like that for about ten minutes until his father finally let him go and realized what he had done. He tried apologizing but Sasuke had already shut himself off. Hearing his brother's name over and over again could do that to a person, especially when it was supposed to be his name in replace of that name. They headed in after that and Sasuke never rode his new bike again, he never cried again either. Figuring that his father only attention towards him was when he was hurt and he was always crying when he was hurt, so theoretically he had to cease crying. It hurt too much that his father wasn't thinking of him when hugging him anyway. _

_As time went by and years passed, his parents spent less time at home. His father got promoted and his mom was offered a job at a fashion business, they both took the jobs without considering him. But it was okay, he was use to it. _

_As part of growing up, Sasuke learned that he could replace a lot of his sadness with anger, that emotion was better to handle than misery; he could control it when ever he wanted and not have to suffer the pain and grief he mostly felt at home. _

_He hated his parents now, for many reasons, but he mostly hated them for leaving him and replacing him with his dead brother and he hated Itachi for that as well. They didn't care about him so why should he._

_When he use to go to public school, he got into a lot of trouble starting fights and having disciplinary problems, his father thought it would be best if he went to private school, their rules were much stricter and he just didn't have the time to keep hearing about his son's bad behavior, a private school could take care of all the discipline issues for him, he just needed to say the word and that gave them all the confirmation they needed. The school also offered great scholarships so if Sasuke decided to join any sports, mainly baseball, than he could get a good scholarship for college and that was what mostly caught his father's attention._

_Alone was always what Sasuke felt now, anger was the next, but he could never forgive his parents for what they did to him, what they continue to do to him. He would not let someone else enter his life and change that, he would continue to be alone because that's what life gave him and that was the only thing he knew…loneliness, it was his place in the world his only fate._

The psychiatrist noticed a glaze in Sasuke's eyes and made a note of it. Body language and reactions were better than nothing he thought as he watched as Sasuke down cast his eyes to take notice of the floor. And there he noticed that he was losing him again, Sasuke was closing up on him again as always. He had to do something.

But before he could say anything, Sasuke was looking up again and at him, acknowledging him.

"Home is a broken soul, you can't fix it," he told the psychiatrist. "It can never be fixed."

"And what do you mean by that," the man in the cushion chair asked, happy and surprised that he finally got a word from the silent teen.

Sasuke turned his head, looking at the many books that littered the man's shelf. He finished what he had to say, he didn't need to say anything else. And he didn't care how it sounded because it was the truth and that's all the man needed to know.

That day was the last time he saw his psychiatrist, the night to follow he was taken from his own home, where he met a boy by the name of Naruto Uzumaki…who would change his life, forever… maybe for the best… or maybe, for the worst.

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**AN: **How was it, let me know what you thought about it. 

I'm just going to end there, I already said so much at the beginning, but please leave a review, okay. Thanks


	14. Why, Orochimaru, Why? The Clues

**AN: **Sorry for taking so long to put up the clues, but they are finally here and you guys can now put on you thinking caps, now. I didn't make this easy for you guys but I did direct you guys in the right direction to where hidden and obvious clues are located. I also provided some notes that are some aids to keep you guessing.

Enjoy

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_Why_, Orochimaru, _Why_?

Hey everyone, I'm glad you could all join me in this discovery of Clues in the story of Control is Everything. They were everywhere throughout the story so far, some more than others, but the main purpose for those clues and hints were to find out:

What is it that Orochimaru want with these Kids?

I know, I had some hidden and some were obvious, but now, I'm here to make all those clues clear or somewhat clear without giving too much away. This will help you with knowing what to look for.

**IMPORTANT**: Its best that you open up another browser to refer back to some of the chapters in Control is Everything. I have some notes that tell you which chapters you will need to look for to find some of the obvious or hidden clues. Or you could just copy and paste this into your word documents and have it as guide to look at later, it doesn't really matter, just something I thought you guys might want to know.

Let's begin shall we….

**Chapter 1 and Chapter 2**

These two combine gives us a look on both the main characters of the story: Sasuke and Kakashi. In chapter one, part one and two, we see Kakashi as a cynical detective who broods and likes to work late, there also the mention of him isolating himself from his friends, Asuma being one of them and his partner. Through Kakashi's P.O.V. we learn that he is, in fact, angry and have a lot of regret. He feels bad that he couldn't capture Obito's killer and that he let everyone down (which has a more in depth look in chapter two; this is why I'm connecting the two chapters). Also we learn that before Kakashi leaves the precinct, there's a boy who was murdered in a similar fashion as Obito's and it catches Kakashi's attention—it was a chance to reopen Obito's case. With Sasuke, we get a hint of his life, nothing too specific but enough to know what it is like. He's somewhat a broody kid who we could only assume (with the little bit of information that we got about him) is a trouble maker. Anyway, we get a glimpse of his kidnapping and who is responsible. We also see that Kabuto is apart of this kidnapping, along with another intruder, and that he gets a thrill at seeing his victims struggle against him (hint, hint, for later chapters).

The reason why I did a little summary for chapter one and two was because they were the only chapters without any clues and they were the main chapters that explained a lot about the story in general.

Now we move on to the good stuff….the clues

**Chapter 3**

I have mentioned before that this chapter had three obvious clues and one hidden clues, well I made a mistake; there's actually one obvious clues and two hidden clues (my bad).

**Obvious clues**:

**__**…Those that were mentioned in Kakashi's summary of the missing children and their connections to Obito's case

**Hidden clues**:

(I'm not going to actually give them away but give you a hint to where to find them and/or little notes you would need to take into consideration.)

_****_…Remember Orochimaru and Kabuto's conversation in this chapter, where Kabuto brought Sasuke's unconscious body to him, Orochimaru makes an interesting statement (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

_****_…Sasuke's description of the room.

(**NOTE**: When Sasuke describes the room he is in, he noticed that there are six beds in the room, already set up. Makes you wonder, how long has Orochimaru's been planning this? Did he already have his victims in mind this whole time? Hmmm).

**Chapter 4**

This chapter has 1 revealed clue and one hidden clue

**Obvious clue**:

_****_…It was what Kakashi and his team (Asuma, Kurenai, and Genma) summed up close to the end of this chapter about the case so far.

**Hidden clue**:

_****_…I can't give it away but here's a note to get you thinking (I might be giving it away, just by giving you this note.)

(**NOTE**: Why was the security guard killed? Kabuto and the other intruder could have simply ignored him or gone through the back entrance mention when Kakashi and Asuma were questioning Mrs. Uchiha (refer back to chapter 4 when they first questioned Mrs. Uchiha), but they went through the front, knowing the security guard would be there and like mentioned in the summing of what they got so far in the case, they knew that the victims were being watched so that the perpetrator would know their routine. Think back to the first chapter when Sasuke described his way home and in this chapter when Kakashi and his partners described what they knew with the case).

**Hint: Personality**, these victims (or shall I say young teens) have their own personalities, but they are connected in a way.

**Chapter 5**

This chapter has one obvious clue and two hidden clues.

**Obvious clue**:

_****_…It is what Lee tells Sasuke of why he is always picked out of all the rest.

**Hidden clues**:

_****_…Somewhere located in the beginning paragraph, I can't be too precise with this one but it's there.

_****_…How did Orochimaru and his men know about their escape attempt?

(**NOTE**: Look back at part two in chapter 3 and its there. READ CAREFULLY)

**Chapter 6**

This chapter contained no clues, but we do find out that during the interrogation, Orochimaru is a sick and psychotic man who has no empathy or guilt and Kabuto is Orochimaru's lawyer (Or is he?).

**Hint: **Sakura and Hinata express **IT**.

**Chapter 7**

All the obvious clues were a given, basically the ones mentioned in part two about the victims' lifestyle and home life, but these clues are also related to the hints given in some of the chapters, put these together and you may find a connection, with the hints at least.

**Hint: **Kiba is calmed by **IT**.

**Chapter 8**

This chapter has one hidden clue and I will give you this one: it's about Sasuke. Chapter 12 and 13 should help you to figuring it out a little better though. And the little speech Naruto gives him after offering Sasuke his leftover afternoon meal, it's connected to the story and foreshadows for later chapters.

(**NOTE**: Sasuke's phrase, "I hate you, both of you" it wasn't directed towards anyone in the asylum with him, but it does foreshadows or hint to what is mentioned or informed in later chapters. Also when Naruto and Sasuke were in that room with the TV and VCR, there was a mentioning of tapes, two were named, but there _were_ more, I just wanted to make that clear.)

**Hint: **Lee is encouraged by **IT**.

**Chapter 9**

This whole chapter was a **BIG **clue, a **REALLY BIG CLUE!**

**Hint:** Sasuke needs **IT **but pushes away from **IT**.

**Chapter 10**

This has no clues in it but it was a very angst chapter on Kakashi's feelings and of them finally being set free. I gave it its title because at the end, I stated that Kakashi was in a lot of grief and that comes at a person emotionally and physically, resulting in Kakashi finding it hard to sleep. He finally released "some" of those emotions and tired himself out from his own emotional exhaustion.

(**NOTE**: Good thing he had a friend to help him out when he needed him (wink, wink, nudge, nudge: Foreshadowing).

**Hint: **Kakashi had **IT** and wants **IT** back; he's lost and lonely without **IT**.

**Chapter 11**

All this chapter had were obvious clues and they were mostly of what were mentioned for both Sanko and Obito's crime scene.

**Compare**:

_****_…Far from the city

_****_…Body dumped completely off course from any roads or trails that could be taken by car.

_****_…These both suggest that the perpetrator could be local or did some research on area.

**Contrast**:

_****_…Obito's scene had no path and no joggers came around there

_****_…Someone called about finding the body, it was traced to a payphone at the corner of the police station but street camera videos revealed that no one was at the payphone at the time of the call.

**Hint: **At the end of this chapter—A BIG CLUE (ehehehehe).

(**NOTE**: I think if I had hidden clues then they would most likely be of the anonymous phone call about Obito to the police station and the reason why the street cameras didn't pick up on who called the station at the time. And the BIGGEST hidden, if I would consider it a hidden clue, would be "What is Orochimaru's real name?" They both were obviously mentioned, it's just that they were both so mysteriously unexplained that they could be considered hidden clues).

**Chapter 12 and 13**

No clues in these two chapters, but I would like to explain something, but it is on a touchy subject and that is death.

Basically these were a full two partner chapter about Sasuke's life and all that has happened and his views on it.

To make things clear, what everyone was feeling, after Itachi's death, was, in a way, normal, if not relevant. Different people handle death differently and for this type of death, it was something unprepared, it was sudden. Those types of deaths, especially when a child is involved can be the most painful. No ones is really prepared for those types of deaths (sorry, meant to mention this earlier…suicide) than they are with a dying person. It is easier to cope or to deal with a dying person because one can prepare themselves for what is about to happen and one can face the problem with ease as the end finally comes. But when someone dies in a sudden or unexpected manner, such as with suicide, fatal car accidents, disastrous events, than it is harder to cope with because it was so sudden and the person doesn't have time to prepare. It like things just rush by because one minute the person is there, alive, and then the next the person is dead, and then the arrangements of a funeral and burial have to be done and then there's mourning and it's just so quick all of a sudden, no time for anything like, grieving.

I really didn't want to get all psychological with this explanation because, really, it is such a sensitive subject, and every one has their own opinion, and there might be some who have a problem with it or some might become offended so I will just hurry it along.

But about Sasuke's parents, it is said somewhere in my Crisis Intervention book by Kristi Kanel about parents and their take on a child's death:

"After such trauma, most parents have a lot of trouble getting along with each other as well as with their other children. They no longer feel like the same people they were before the tragedy because their life has been so drastically changed."

And it is with this that I based Sasuke's life with. That's why his parents were so distance and why they weren't home most of the time (all the time, based off of my story) and why they were always arguing. I'm not saying that a family whose child has passed away will turned out this way; I'm just saying Sasuke's family turned out this way, sad as it was, this was just how his family took the trauma and it tore the family apart.

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**AN: **Well that is it for what is important for all the chapters so far. If you're still a little confused about any clues, notes, or hint given, please feel free to PM me or leave it in a review or something, anything, I don't mind. Thank you. 


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: **I made a quick chapter so you guy didn't have to wait any longer, but it is really short, but it has some good information in it. Also, I put it in a rush form so if it sounds rushy, good, it's suppose to be that way.

I hope the clues help you guys out some, I know I had fun writing it.

Anyway, this has some torturing scenes on a minor so beware, but enjoy as well.

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Chapter 14

I Promise I Won't Break

Sasuke coughed out as a fist was slammed into his stomach for the thirtieth time. He would try to gain his breath, but another fist to the gut ceased that. His arms were tied above his head, tied to a rope in the ceiling, leaving Sasuke dangling just inches from the floor, his feet barely touching its cold cement.

A fist hit him in the ribs and he grunted in pain.

A slap across the face caused him to bite into his cheek, tasting his own blood.

The culprits laughed as blood ran down the corner of Sasuke's busted lips (from an earlier beating, it just reopened from the slap) and dripped onto his white shirt.

Out of retaliation, Sasuke spat most of the blood into one of their faces…in Kabuto's face more precisely.

The laughter ceased as Kabuto wiped the blood off of him with the back of his hand and examined it. He smiled and with the same hand, backhanded Sasuke across the face again.

"You will learn soon, you will break…," he taunted, moving close so his mouth was at Sasuke's left ear. "…and when you do, you're mine."

Sasuke pushed his self away from Kabuto the best way he could.

He would never break, he made a promise.

(Flashback, two days earlier)

_He woke to the sound of dripping water and the smell of mildew. It was strong and damped, almost like he was underground or something…under a building._

_He fluttered his eyes open, but only to see darkness. It was pitched black and if he squinted his eyes just a bit he could see pipes or some sort, but he wasn't so sure. Maybe tunnels, but he wasn't so sure on that either._

_He went to move, to sit up, but his muscles protested. Memories of the event, when he was with the group, being zapped with such volts of electricity had him shivering. It hurts and it only made his aching worst as it seemed his body was remembering it as well._

Pain, so much pain

_What bothered him more than anything was where he was at the moment; he doesn't remembering it being this dark in the other rooms with the others._

Where were the others?

_A shuffled noise caught his attention from behind, he quickly turned, but the darkness of the room had him seeing nothing and he didn't like that at all._

_"Sasuke, is that you," a small voice asked him. It was shaky and a little hoarse, but Sasuke was able to distinguish it._

Naruto

(End of Flashback)

Before this, before all the beating started, he was strung up for hours, leaving his hands and arms numbed and tingling. After those agonizing hours of just hanging, the men, who had strung him up, came back to pour cold water over his body and lowered the temperature to freezing levels, he was then left for a couple of more hours, before they returned…to pour more cold water on him. That lasted for more freezing, agonizing hours.

When they returned, again, they came without the bucket of cold water, but with a tape player. It was for him to listen to the screams of the others.

Of Sakura…

Of Kiba…

Of Hinata…

Of Lee…

And of Naruto

They played their suffering for hours to him and there wasn't anything he could do.

(Flashback, Two days earlier)

_"Sasuke, is that you," a small voice asked him. It was shaky and a little hoarse, but Sasuke was able to distinguish it._

Naruto

_"You were out for a while, I didn't want to wake you," he said and another shuffled sound was made. Sasuke figured it was him moving, because moments later a small hand was placed on his shoulder, it squeezed, making sure he was there and that he wasn't going anywhere. _

_"Where are we," Sasuke asked soon afterwards, an ease settling him, knowing he wasn't alone, but with someone else…with him._

_"I don't know. I woke up and we were in this room," Naruto answered. "I've never been in here before."_

(End of Flashback)

"Do you hear them, Sasuke," Kabuto had asked him. "They're calling for you," he had stated. "He is calling for you."

And that had been done in mockery. He was basking in Sasuke's helplessness and he was rubbing it deeply into his wounds…with extra salt and lemon juice.

"You can't help them," Kabuto had laughed. "You can't help anybody..."

And he goes to say something hurtful, something so forbidden that it hit Sasuke hard.

"…just like when you couldn't help your brother."

It had anger Sasuke so; he struggled in his binds, kicking his legs out so he could get a good shot at Kabuto, at anyone in the room with him.

Kabuto only laughed and he and his followers left him in the room, with the tape still playing. So he could hear their screams and know that he couldn't do anything about it.

(Flashback, Two days earlier)

_"I don't know. I woke up and we were in this room," Naruto answered. "I've never been in here before."_

_A moment of silence passed before he continued._

_"But, I-I think we're the only ones here…I don't know where the others are at?"_

_His eyes were adjusting; now, he could see Naruto's face and eyes…sad eyes._

_"I think they split us up from the other day, I don't know," Naruto said. His fingers burrowing into Sasuke's shoulder more as he spoke. "Sasuke say something. Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine," he dryly answered._

(End of Flashback)

He had fallen asleep somewhere in that moment when the tape was playing, only to be woken up by his door being slammed and a hot pain whipping him on the chest.

He had yelped then, but when the second struck hit him, he held in his screams, not wanting to give the person what they wanted.

He. Would. Not. Scream.

That lasted for thirty minutes and then he couldn't hold his screams anymore. Three whips were all the person gave him after that and then he was gone.

No one came in, for a while, after that. He was just left in the darkness, cold, hurting, and in pain.

He was also left with his thoughts…

(Flashback, two days earlier…)

_"I'm fine," he dryly answered._

_"Help me look for a light switch," he later stated to Naruto._

_They both looked around, trying to find some sort of light but useless as it may, they walked over to a wall, feeling for some kind of switch or something._

_But suddenly, a door opened behind them, its hinges squeaking from years of rust, momentarily blinding the two with its outside light. _

(End of Flashback)

His door opened up again and this time a woman walked in. She wasn't dressed like the other men, not in black, but in a blowy, dark blue, little Sunday dress. She had walked up to him and untied his arms, letting him drop to the hard floor, limply.

He couldn't move his arms to push himself up, they were still numb. But he kept his eyes on her, at least when she walked around in front of him. She never said anything; she just walked around the room and then squatted down to look at him. And Sasuke was trying, he was trying to move his arms to pick his self up, so he could leave, to go help his friends, but he was weak.

"Hungry," she asked a while later, her voice calm and soft. "It's been three days, you must be hungry."

_Has it been that long_, he asked himself. _Did three days really pass?_

"You're lying," he argued back, weakly.

She smiled and ruffled his hair, "Am I…how would you know?"

He wanted to remove her hand, he wanted to wipe that smirk off her face, he wanted, so badly, to move and get away, but he couldn't.

"What do you want," he asked her instead.

"Hush, now," she whispered, brushing his bangs out from over his eyes, smoothly.

"Don't touch me," he tried moving his head away from her hand, but she firmly gripped the back of his dark locks and yanked his head up. Now, he was lying on his stomach, his arms at his side, and unable to move, so when his head was yanked back, it put a lot of strain on his lower back.

He grunt at the action and heard her laugh.

"Poor, Sasuke," her voice changed from its calm and soft, smooth tone to a much harsher tone, more devilish.

"Being this brave will only bring about more pain…give up, admit you are weak and helpless and this will all go away."

"N-Never," he grunted out as his head was raised even more.

She leaned over him and whispered, "Promises were meant to be broken, and Sasuke, we will break you."

His head was dropped then; it hit the floor hard, knocking him almost unconscious. He heard his door open and close and the woman was gone.

(Flashback, two days earlier)

_But suddenly, a door opened behind them, its hinges squeaking from years of rust, momentarily blinding the two with its outside light. _

_It soon disappeared, but another light, a much smaller and less brighten light shined their way…a flashlight._

_Its light moved from their faces and a voice spoke._

_"Follow me," it said and the door was opened again, light filling the room._

_"And what if we don't," Sasuke answered back full of confidence on the outside but shaky and nervous on the inside. _

_And Naruto was standing close beside him, he had to be strong._

What do they want?

_The voice laughed and the flashlight was shined in their faces again…for fun this time._

_"You have spunk, kid, but it wasn't an offer, it was an order and I recommend you follow it, or…" the voice paused, humor lacing his last words. "…or you can face the consequences." _

Did they have any other choices?

_The flashlight's light made playful swirls on their stationary bodies by the wall as the man whistled a playful tune, mocking them. It stopped some time later and the commanding voice was back._

_"Now, be good little boys and do what the adult tells you."_

_The man stepped out into the hall, with the flashlight still in his hand, still in their eyes._

_"What do you want," Naruto asked with anger. He didn't like this, the both of them didn't but they had no other choice. They both didn't want to stay in the dark room and they both were a little curious._

He might be taking us back to the others?

_As they stepped out into the hall, they sealed their fate as the room door was closed behind them and the man stood in front of them, eyeing them strangely._

_He smugly smiled and walked on ahead with his two quarries behind him._

(End of Flashback)

His arms were tied back above his head and he was forced fed the food they brought him. It was tasteless as ever, he only grudgingly ate about half of it before they left him again.

He told himself that he had to be strong; he made a promise, to Naruto, for all of them.

I. Will. Not. Break.

I. Will. Not. Break.

His door was open again and they brought in the tape again. But this one was new; this one was just with Naruto. It was his screams that filled his little cell, in his lonely state.

Kabuto walked in, alone, afterwards, his hand behind his back, walking around Sasuke as they both listened to the tape.

"He won't last," Kabuto said from behind him. "Not after tonight, when I'm done with him."

He walked in front of Sasuke, making their eyes met. "He pleaded for you, earlier," he smirked.

"He wanted his Sasuke …"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, becoming angry by the minute.

"He kept calling, and calling out your na…"

"I said, shut up," he tried kicking at Kabuto, but his foot was grabbed and he was spun around. The rope twisted, tightening around his wrists.

Kabuto only spun him more, adding more pressure and pain.

And again, Sasuke tried kicking him, but it became futile as a punch was all he gained from it. He coughed out as another one landed.

"He's your weakness, Sasuke, one mention of his name and you go out of control. So it goes without saying: we break him, we break you," he smirked. "And his and your little promise will be worthless."

With a harsh pat on the cheek, Sasuke was left alone in the room again, contemplating everything Kabuto had said. But he couldn't find himself to believe it. He knew it wasn't true, they're lying to him, and they're always lying to him.

(Flashback, two days earlier)

_They were walking down this hall with lots of doors, each with numbers on them above their small rectangular windows. The man was standing behind them now, and he watched their every move. _

_He told them to turn right at the next corner and they were met with another hall with plenty of doors, but the only difference with this hallway was that there were noises._

_Screams filled the hall, torturous, agonizing screams…and they all sounded familiar._

_They passed the first two doors to their right, and they heard Sakura and Hinata's high pitch yells. A couple of doors down, they hear Kiba's and Lee's screams and then coughing, like they were being drowned or something._

_Sasuke's heart was now beating up towards his throat, his hands were shaking tremendously, and he found it harder to keep walking, but one look at Naruto and he ceased all those actions…he must remember to stay strong._

_They were pushed into one of the back rooms in the hall, the door closing behind them, and they were left in silence. _

_The atmosphere completely changed now they knew what was about to happen._

_"They're going to separate us," Naruto asked, looking at the closed door. His eyes were deep in thought and his face showed that he was troubled. _

_Sasuke couldn't lie to him, but he wasn't about to voice his agreement either. It could only make the situation worst than it already was. _

_"We might not see each other again," Naruto whispered and that had Sasuke glaring at him._

_"You don't know that," he argued._

_Naruto turned to face him, tears glossing his eyes. Sasuke looked away. The fact that Naruto had got under his skin and made him feel had not gone unnoticed to him. Whenever he saw the boy cry, it made him feel it too, he wanted to cry, but he promised himself that he would stay strong…at least for the both of them. He could do that, he wasn't able to when he was younger, when his… but he could now, and he would…for the both of them._

_"I can't loss anymore people," Naruto choked. "I can't."_

_"You won't," Sasuke said, his eyes still not facing the boy. Those words were just leaving his mouth without him having to think about them._

Did he really care for the boy that much,_ he thought to himself._

_A silence came over between them as they worried over their own thoughts._

_"Promise me something, Sasuke."_

_He looked at him then, his eyes shiny with his own held tears, because bad thoughts formed in his head and he feared he might loss Naruto, and that cut deep into his heart, something he hadn't felt in a long time._

I can't loss you too,_ he told his self. _I can't.

_"W-What?"_

_"Promise me that you'll be back, that you won't be gone when I need you."_

_A tear slipped from both his eyes as he watched Naruto just now, his face changed completely in that brief moment that it took him to make that swear. It was clear and determined, but at the same time pleading and hoping. And it hurt Sasuke even more to see that look on his face._

_"I promise," and he made sure he looked Naruto dead in the eyes when he said it too. He was making this promise count. _

_Naruto smiled, "And I promise to do the same too."_

_And Sasuke smiled then, finding the promise true._

_"Thank you," he told him._

_"You're welcome," Naruto told him back."_

(End of Flashback)

So here he was, now, getting beaten by Kabuto and his followers, with them trying to break him.

But it wouldn't work because he had made a promise and he would keep that promise too.

I will not break

I will not break.

He would see Naruto again soon and then everything would be okay.

It would be okay.

* * *

**AN: **So how was it, I love the bond I have with Naruto and Sasuke in this chapter, I think I made them sound close.

This is a foreshadowing chapter, so make sure you make a mental note on what is going on here and why. Like what could this be eluding to (foreshadowing between Naruto and Sasuke)?

Reviews would be highly appreciated, thank you.


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: **Hey sorry for the long awaited update, but I've been busy lately.

Like all my chapters, I enjoy writing this one, for reasons you will have to read to find out.

Orochimaru's real name is revealed and the kids are back together again, but really, they aren't okay.

Sadly, I have to say, this story is closely coming to an end. I think it has about 5 or 6 more chapters left, maybe less. It really depends on how I write the next two chapters, I'm not really sure, myself but I do know the ending is near (cries). Who knows, I might write a sequel, I have a ending in mind, but I don't know if I should end it in that way, but I do have bits and pieces of what a sequel could be like...I don't know...

This chapter is in the others' P.O.V. for part 2, mostly Sakura's and a little of Naruto's. I wanted it to be told in the others' P.O.V. only because this parter has a point to it. That the group was getting closer even in their own hardships, they care for each other. Plus, I wanted another Sasuke and Naruto brotherly bonding moment, since you guys liked it so much (and I have to keep the readers happy, ehehehe).

Anyway, that's all I have to say...**ENJOY**

* * *

Chapter 15

The Records Never Lie: Part One

Kakashi looked through the stack of papers on his desk, continuously. He couldn't believe all this stuff he pulled up on this guy and couldn't help but think, _How come he didn't think of this earlier?_

This guy was a wanted murderer, a wanted dealer, a wanted kidnapper and rapist in ten different cities and towns. It sickened him, Kakashi's stomach churn just from the report itself. It made him chill just from the thought that he was once near this man, had him close to his own personal space, and that he was close to Obito, on more than one occasion…it was revolting, so revolting.

_How could a man with his record be allowed to change his name_, he thought to himself. It didn't make sense, unless it was done illegally. It's not uncommon but how and who would be so careless to do such a thing. Other criminals, no doubt, but even a criminal has a heart, deep down, especially if they had this man's record.

_Typical_, he thought. _So typical_…

"…anything," Asuma's voiced asked him from over his computer.

"What?"

"Do you want anything," Asuma answered as he leaned back into his own desk chair and lifted a questioning eyebrow at his partner.

"Uh, no…I'm good." He placed the stack of papers down and folded his arms across his chest, sighing heavily. He stared off into the distance, a crease between his brows.

A pause.

"What is it," Asuma sighed.

Kakashi slowly looked up at his partner, the crease between his brows never faulting.

"Don't you think it's strange that a man with his record could get his name changed," he paused to finger the stack of papers. "And for so long too, twenty years…don't you think the law would have kept a watchful eye on him?"

"Maybe they didn't know? Maybe he went into hiding when they figured him out, I don't know? Why you ask?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair.

"When are Kurenai and Genma getting back," he asked some time later after they just sat there for a moment.

"Uhm, they should be back any minute now, they just went to get something to eat since we're staying over night again. But why you asked, Kakashi?" He was referring on what they were discussing earlier, the quickly change of subject by his friend didn't go unnoticed.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, loudly.

"I don't know, it's just…it doesn't seat right with me. You would think a man, a criminal as he is, would be watched carefully or something, by undercover cops, the FBI, someone, but there's nothing. He just disappeared, came back some years later with a new name and then started his life over again. It's not right, Asuma, it couldn't have been that easy for him? How can he be so…"

"Careful…undetectable…cunning," Asuma interrupted. "I don't know, but some of them are just like that. They come and go, disappear and reappear, and it all goes unnoticed under our noses and there's nothing we can do to explain it. They're just that good."

Kakashi shook his head, not wanting to believe that. No criminals were that good; they were either caught and put to prison or jail, or killed. They make mistakes just like everyone else and they were human just like everyone else, they weren't invincible…they just weren't.

"No, he must have friends in high places and we just don't know who they are yet," was Kakashi's answer. "It would explain a lot."

"What would explain a lot," Kurenai spoke suddenly appearing at the two men's desk.

"Nothing," Kakashi answered, eyeing Asuma to not speak a word on the subject, but Asuma didn't listen. He figured Kakashi was getting in his mood again when he became skeptical of things and don't like to voice them. He tries to keep them a secret among his friends but good thing he had Asuma to help out in that department.

"Kakashi's thinking that it's weird that Orochimaru, I mean Leko Sui has evaded the law for so long and was able to change his name with his record so full of bad deeds and got away with it. In other words, he's suspicious again."

Kurenai looked at Kakashi and back at Asuma, "What's there to be suspicious about, the records never lie…and if he wasn't caught than it must mean that he stays in hiding and the law is unable to find him, especially with his change of name, that, in itself, is a clue right there, that he must have other aliases to prevent himself from getting caught." She set the bag of food down in between their desk and took out a burger. "Here, you need a break…eat something."

Taking the burger, Kakashi unwrapped the wrapping and took a big bite before setting it on his desk and picked up the papers again.

"But," he swallowed. "Don't you think if that was the case, then in his record there would be other names under his profile?"

"Yeah, but that's also could mean that they don't know about them yet," Genma answered, slurping down his soda.

Kakashi frowned; he let his shoulders drop and sigh, heavily. He was thinking too much into this, but he had his reasons. He didn't want this guy to get away again. There were so many people listed in his profile that he terrorized and killed: men, women, children included, and it made him angry to see that he got away with it in almost all the cases. He was either charged, but there was never enough evidence against him, whether the victims were too terrified or they all just suddenly disappeared to testify against him, nothing to really found him guilty with… or he was missing and there were no leads to his whereabouts. Everything this man was involved in was devilish and he just wanted the list to end. He wanted the man gone.

"Maybe your right," he gave in, sighing once again on the matter.

"Don't worry, Kakashi, we'll find him," Kurenai stated, disquietly, noticing the doubt upon her friend's face. "And we'll put him behind bars so he won't hurt another human being again, okay."

Kakashi only nodded his head, before standing up, picking up Orochimaru's files and walking towards the cubicle in the middle of the office.

Kurenai watched him go in before she turned to give Asuma a questioning look.

"What," Asuma asked.

Kurenai sat in Kakashi's desk chair, "Maybe we should give the case to someone else?"

"NO," both Genma and Asuma answered in unison.

"Why not, it's obvious that this is very hard on him, it could be for the best?"

"No, we can't do that," Asuma continued. "It would only hurt him more. And you see how close we are to catching this guy. We got a real name, his records, and other witnesses listed that could help us out, we can catch this guy."

"Yeah, but do we have the time," Kurenai made clear. "It's been four weeks, now. The first kid, Naruto, he was the first, after Sanko, to be kidnapped, that was four weeks from now. How long do these kids be missing before their bodies are found," she asked them.

Genma got up from his perched from a nearby desk and picked up both Sanko's and Obito's files.

"It says here, under both, their bodies were both found a month and couple of weeks after they were kidnapped. So I guess that leaves us with…"

"That leaves us with two more weeks, before Naruto become the next victim. We have no time for more interviews that gives us the runaround; we need something that will lead us on the right path so we can find these kids."

Silence filled the room. Time was of the essence and they had nothing to go on with, nothing incisive that could give them something.

"Damn," Asuma whispered. "Only two weeks left."

"Two weeks maybe less, I not really sure, but we need to hurry," Kurenai answered.

Another silence as concern took over. What was there next move? What was their next plan of action? Did they really have that much time?

"Guys," Kakashi called out to them from the door of the cubicle. "Come here."

The three detectives exchanged looks before they finally moved from there standings and headed over towards their friend.

They entered and sat down in the chairs, waiting for Kakashi to speak. He was somewhat pacing the room, a concern look on his face.

"What is it, Kakashi," Asuma asked.

Kakashi stopped his pacing and looked at his partners. "I got something, a hunch really."

They all waited for him to continue.

"I was looking back on Orochimaru's history and I found something. Here under his real name, it says that he was born in Sound country. That's like some miles from here. I figured if he wanted to hide some kids far away from their own home, why not some place he's familiar with and the kids weren't. His old hometown would be a good place for that. And when he's done with them, he needed to bring them back here so he could get rid of the body and not have it traceable to him or his old town."

"Could it be that easy," Genma asked. "I mean his hometown that seems like a reasonable place to look first wouldn't you think…"

"So reasonable, it overlooked," Kakashi answered. "It's so obvious; of course, the other cops would look over it. They figured, what a notorious criminal like Orochimaru would return home to hid, he's too smart for that."

His friends were considering it, but they were still skeptical.

"Think about it. Yes, Orochimaru is a smart man; he probably thought this through the whole time. Got into the mind of a cop, planned everything so it wouldn't be easy to find him, but made it so obviously easy that it couldn't be his hometown that he would be hiding, it's genius."

"If he was in his hometown, where do we look," Kurenai asked.

"I don't know," he answered. "I figured once we got there, we ask around, look up his birth record, see who his parents were, what was his childhood life was like, who he was as a child and so on? These can help us out in finding him?"

He stared at them as he watch them exchanged a look.

He had heard them earlier, about how much time they had…and to make the situation worst, he wasn't so sure if his hunch was right. The thought of them only having two weeks had never crossed his mind and now that he knew, it only made his search and his hunch more desperate that he hoped he was right, because if he wasn't than that was another child dead under his investigation, under Orochimaru's name, in which he couldn't save. He didn't want that and he certainly didn't want the guilt. So he hoped and he prayed that this would lead them to something, to anything, in time…on time.

Not one child would be lost again, not one more child.

"I say we go for it," Genma blurted out, suddenly.

"Me too," Asuma was next.

They looked towards Kurenai, again she was the last to answer but deep down they knew what her choice was going to be.

"I agree we should go for it. It's the best shot we got."

Kakashi smiled, "Great, I was thinking we leave out tonight, get there by tomorrow morning."

"What," the three shouted.

"Kakashi, it's already twelve o'clock at night, we can't leave out tonight," Kurenai complained.

"I'll drive," was his answer.

"But we…."

"Remember what you said, we only have two weeks, maybe less left. The more time the better."

Shock took over all three faces, Kakashi only nodded his head to let them know that he heard everything about their conversation and he wasn't offended or hurt. He just wanted to hurry.

"Okay," Asuma spoke. "But could we at least pack first or at least finishing eating?"

Everyone smiled. It was always Asuma who settled the mood, whether it was from a sad, depressing, or angry mood, Asuma always made it back to a happy or calm one. He didn't like it when friends fought; he liked it for everyone to be happy and he likes to leave it that way.

"Okay," Kakashi smiled. "We can finishing eating and then we could each go home and pack. We'll meet back here at around one-thirty?"

"Sure," they all agreed.

"Good."

Chapter 15

All in this Together: Part Two

"Ahhhh," Sasuke screamed as they tried to move him away from the door. They were trying to be careful but they were only causing him more pain.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Sakura apologized as she let her grip on him loosen. The others did the same.

They watched as Sasuke leaned on the wall, next to the door, breathing heavily. His left shoulder was dislocated, it happened before they released him, today, to take him back with the others. Kabuto and his followers, untied him and let him fall, they then tugged at his left arm to pick him up, but when Sasuke refused to, more like couldn't move, it only angered the men and they yanked hard on his arm, lifting him up, and very roughly pushed him towards the door. The dislocating happened when Sasuke stumbled and slammed the left side of his back and shoulder into the cement wall with such force…there was a pop and the sound of Sasuke's screaming afterwards. They threw him in the room with the rest of their captives without relocating his shoulder or seeing to that he got some kind of pain relievers for his suffering. They only laughed as they closed the door behind them and cut off the hallway lights.

"Sasuke," Naruto limped over towards his friend and squatted in front of him, His bruises littering practically his whole body. Sasuke looked up at him and forcefully and painfully smiled for him, rather than to him, even in his pain state he was making sure Naruto felt better, knowing he was okay.

"Liar," Naruto spoke, figuring out what Sasuke was trying to do. "You're not okay, so don't act like it."

Sasuke leaned his head on the cushioned wall and sighed, his shoulder muscles spasm briefly causing more pain to build up. "Sorry," he managed to get out between clenched teeth.

They were all beaten and every part of their bodies ached, but as they look at Sasuke, they knew he needed their help more than anything.

"Naruto, see if you can calm Sasuke down, Lee, Kiba, I need you over here for a moment," Sakura calmly asked. "Hinata help Naruto with Sasuke."

"O-Okay," Hinata scurried over next to Naruto to help give Sasuke comforting words, anything to try and help get his mind off the pain.

Sakura walked a little ahead, to the corner on the other side of the room, rubbing her sore arm, and making sure it didn't rub against her bruised ribs. She thinks a few might be fractured, but she could handle it a little. As she waited for the two oldest boys to make their way over toward her, she watch Hinata and Naruto as they smiled about something. She could see Sasuke smiling too; they must be doing a good job because he didn't look like he was frowning from the pain any more.

"What is it," Kiba asked. The corner of his bottom lip was swollen and his right eye was closed shut from its own puffiness.

"His shoulder is dislocated," she started. "Last year, a friend of mine from my soccer team had the same problem. She was taken into the hospital where they relocated (or reduced) her shoulder. Now…I've seen how they did it and it took time, but …"

"But what, Sakura," Lee encouraged her to continue. He had a big bruise on his left cheek and a rope burn around his neck, which had him speaking kind of hoarse. He favored his right hand, where it was bruise too from someone repeatedly stomping on it. His legs seem to be bothering him a bit as well.

"Well," she looked down as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Well, before they reduced her shoulder, they gave her some pain killers so she wouldn't have to feel any pain. We don't have that, so…"

"So Sasuke's going to be in a lot of pain," Kiba finished for her.

"Right," she answered.

The two teens sighed.

"What will happen if we don't fix his shoulder," Kiba asked some time later.

"Well, after the incident with my friend, I did some research on dislocated shoulders. If we don't do anything and let his shoulder heal then he would be in a lot of pain, maybe for the rest of his life. This includes if we are taken again and…" she cleared her throat, starting over, but whispering it this time. "…and tortured, he might end up worst than he already is. But if we try to pop his shoulder back in place, he would have to go through the pain without any sedatives or pain killers, but that is our only reasonable choice."

"It sounds risky, I don't know…" Kiba concerned.

"I know, but it's the only way."

They looked back at the group huddled at the other side of the room. Naruto was giving Sasuke a concern look but trying to be supportive as his friend continued to groan from the pain. Considering all of their beatings put together, Sasuke looked the worst. His right eye and cheek were swollen; his left eye was black and blue. His bottom lip had a gash over it; a hand print bruise covered his neck and arms. His wrists were raw and red; they looked irritated if not painful. His white shirt was torn, shredded-like, which showed off streaks of cuts over his back and chest area, a little part of his legs had the same sort of abuse. In all, he looked terrible and now, a dislocated shoulder, he didn't need all that, they had to do something.

"What do we have to do," Lee asked, turning back around to face the pink-haired female again.

"Well, I was thinking that since I can't really do much of anything, with my arm and all, that you guys can do it. I can instruct you on what to do, but that's mostly it, the rest is up to Sasuke and if he wants us to help him or not."

They nodded in agreement.

Now all they needed was Sasuke's consent.

"I-Is there another way," Hinata asked after her and Naruto were told of what was going to happen. Her bruises were apparent on her soft pale cheeks and her child-like arms; a cut on her forehead was forming into a bump, red and darkening as it swells.

The three oldest teens shook their heads, no.

"How are we going to do this," Naruto asked, looking behind him at the shaking teen on the other side of the room. "I don't want him to be in anymore pain."

"I know, but he's going to continue to be in pain if we don't do anything," Sakura explained. "We have to do it."

Naruto turned back around to face Sakura and then looked among the group with concern.

"I guess," he whispered, putting his head down as tears pricked at his eyes. Lee stood in front of him and placed his hands on his shoulders, reassuring him that it was for the best.

"It'll be okay," he told him.

Sasuke had agreed and they were now helping him to one of the beds which was pulled out from against the wall and pulled to the center of the room. They helped him to seat down and they waited for Sakura's instructions.

"Okay, lay him down, carefully," she coached. They did as was told, being careful as to not touch his injured shoulder.

"It's okay, Sasuke, it's okay," Naruto soothed as he noticed Sasuke hissing and scrunching up his face from the aches. "Take slow, deep breathes." He remembered exactly what Sakura had told him to say, just in case Sasuke started to panic or something. He just hoped they'll hurry up; he can't stand to see Sasuke this way.

"Okay," Sakura handed Kiba one of the bed's fitted sheets. "Put this under his body and around his torso, closely under his arms. Tie the ends together, so you'll be able to pull," Kiba did everything and waited for the next instructions.

Sakura looked at Sasuke and then at Lee. Lee got into position, next to Sasuke's injured shoulder and took his arm in his hands. She had already told him what he needed to do when they were discussing earlier, but now she was having second thoughts. She was no doctor or nurse; she could be making the situation worst. And…

Shaking her head, she cleared her mind of doubts and walked over to her own bed and ripped a piece of her sheet and balled it. She stepped back to the bed in the middle over Sasuke's head, where Naruto stood.

"Sasuke, I'm going to stuff this cloth in your mouth, okay. It's so you won't bite into your tongue when we do this."

Sasuke nodded his head and opened his mouth. Sweat already was forming over his forehead and into his dark tresses, he was more nervous and in pain then he led on, trying to be strong for all of them.

After the cloth was in place and she made sure Sasuke could breathe, she went back to instructing.

"Okay, Lee, I want you to take Sasuke's injured arm and bend his elbow until his forearm is at a ninety degree angle, but be gentle."

"Got it," Lee said as he started lifting the arm.

Sasuke groaned, shutting his eyes tight at the first sign of movement, his shoulder was on fire.

Lee stopped for a moment, until Sasuke nodded his head to go on.

"Careful, Lee," Naruto pleaded.

"I well, Naruto."

Lee started moving the arm again, watching Sasuke face for any sign of discomfort, but every time he would stop from Sasuke either groaning or taking a sharp gasped, he would stop and wait, but Sasuke kept nodding his head to continue. His eyes were closed shut again and tears were running down the side of his face. He was in so much pain.

"Slow deep breathes, Sasuke, slow deep breathes," Naruto comforted.

"I-It's alright, y-you're doing g-good," Hinata at the foot of the bed, holding his legs still as they would jerk on occasions. "It'll s-soon be over."

About seven agonizing minutes went by when they finally got Sasuke's arm at a ninety degree angle and they all rest for a moment, it was exhausting for all of them.

Naruto took the end of his shirt and wiped the tears from Sasuke's face, while everyone tried comforting him.

"It'll be over soon," Sakura managed to say between sobs. She hated that this was happening to him, to all of them. There was nothing she could do to ease the pain, and if she thought hard enough, this was worst than being tortured. She had to stand here and watch a friend suffer only when she and the others were trying to help. There was no way they could make it any easier for him, to wish away his pain for him, she would wish the pain on herself if she had the power just so she wouldn't have to see Sasuke like this.

All of them wish to take some of the pain away just to make it a little simpler.

"Okay, you're ready," she asked everyone. Everyone nodded. "This is the hard part. Kiba, Lee, you both are going to be pulling against each other. Lee while Kiba is pulling, you're going to slowly pull and rotate backwards Sasuke's arm on the shoulder's joint, moving the arm back and forth, slowly. Got it."

"Got it," both boys answered.

"Hinata I'm going to need for you to hold Sasuke down and strongly as you can and Naruto try and comfort Sasuke, keep him focus off the pain and onto something else," Naruto had tears pouring down his face, but he nodded anyway. "Sasuke, just…we're sorry, okay," she added.

Everyone got situated and waited on the count.

"One, Two…_Three_," Kiba and Lee counted together and at the last count they started to pull, Kiba with a little bit more tug on the sheets while Lee pulled firmly as he could and being gentle at the same time on Sasuke's left arm.

Sasuke screamed under the clothed as the pain became unbearable. His shoulder and upper arm was burning with aches and it felt like it was tearing. He wanted all of it to stop, to make the pain go away…he wanted…

But as quickly as it started, it soon ended with a final, deep muffled pop of his shoulder popping back into place. Sasuke let out a yelped from the sound of it, and then he sighed heavily as the pain seemed to immediately go away.

They all sighed and were a little bit relieved that the whole thing was over now.

They looked among each other, seeing tears and worried smiles on each others' faces.

"We did it," Lee softly stated.

"Yeah," Kiba agreed.

Hinata and Sakura smiled at each other and back down at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto once again wiped the tears from Sasuke face and then at his own, taking the cloth from Sasuke's mouth. It wasn't until they heard Lee and Kiba laughing did everything ceased and became quiet except for both Kiba and Lee's laughing, of course.

Soon, Sakura joined, followed by Hinata, then Naruto, and then lastly, Sasuke. It was a relief type of laughter, one that made their throat and stomach muscles ached and the one that really had no meaning towards it…it just felt like the right time, to enjoy the moment and know that everyone was okay with it…because they were doing it together…they were in this together.

Following shortly was the crying; Sakura was first this time, followed by Lee and Hinata, then Naruto, Kiba, and Sasuke. This was the sorrow type of crying, where they needed it, for and at this precise moment because they couldn't earlier. Earlier, through everything, they never cried, not through the torturing, or this shoulder thing, not hard anyway. Now that they see that they were all okay, and they were here together, they could relax and cry; because everyone was still here…they were together again.

They huddled around the bed, Sasuke was lying in and held hands, squeezing to insure that the next person was right there. No one was lost and no one was… everyone was here.

That night, they all fell asleep in their own beds, heavy with tiredness and restlessness. Well, everyone was asleep, except for Naruto who woke sometime in the middle of the night to get out of bed. He walked over to Sasuke's bed and stood over the sleeping boy for a while. They had put his arm in a made shift sling across his chest to keep it immobile, his arm was still kind of tender but Sasuke insisted that he would be okay, but Naruto couldn't help but see that pained look on the teen's face. It hurt him to see Sasuke that way and he vowed to himself to never see it again as long as he lives.

"It's not nice to stare," a whisper from the dark-haired teen below Naruto spoke.

Naruto startled a little, realizing that he wasn't the only one still awake and that he was caught staring, but he was glad for it though.

"Sasuke," he started but the words wouldn't leave from over the lump in his throat. He knew what he wanted to say, that he was glad that Sasuke came back and he didn't let those people break him or that he didn't end up…

"You're welcome," Sasuke whispered up to him and slowly smiled.

Naruto nodded his head thankful for having Sasuke as a friend, maybe a brother even, tears pricked at his eyes and he tried wiping them away.

Sasuke scooted over in his bed and lied on his right side, his back up against the wall.

"Get in, you need to sleep," he told Naruto.

Naruto was more than happy to take the hinted offer and jumped into the bed with Sasuke. He lied on his left side, facing Sasuke with a big smile on his face.

"Thanks, Sasuke," he then closed his eyes and snuggled his head under Sasuke's chin, liking the warmth and the comfort.

"You're welcome."

Sasuke then closed his own eyes as sleep made itself known as the comfort of knowing that Naruto was next to him made everything okay.

Orochimaru watched the screens in his personal room at the scene of his captives' room. He smirked at the scene before him and it only made him want to laugh at what he has plan for the two…for all of them.

"They seem to be getting along quite nicely, don't you think," Kabuto asked from his seat in the back of the room, hidden by the shadows.

"Yes, they seem soothe and blissful with each other," he laughed afterwards.

"What a big mistake they formed didn't they?"

Kabuto only grinned, "A big mistake indeed."

* * *

**AN: **How was that? I know Sasuke didn't say much in this chapter but his actions spoke loud and clear.

Do you think Kakashi and the others will find something in Sound Country or is this going to lead them to a dead end?

And Naruto, maybe the others as well, has only two more weeks left, oh my...

The part were Sasuke and the others laughed and then cried, I hope that made sense, they weren't going crazy or nothing, just happy and sad at the same time...and relieved. They been through a lot and they were finally able to express it, together, you know...I hope that's what came across when you read it.

Review and let me know what you think, Please and Thank you.


	17. Chapter 16

**AN: **I'm back and sorry for the wait.

But here it is and I have something very important to ask of you, **IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: **I'm planning on making a sequel, I have little parts here and there but nothing full and complete...but there is an idea for a sequel. I just want to ask the readers/reviewers if they would like a sequel, because if you do, then I have a way of ending this story...and well, if you don't then I have a way of ending this story, so either way, I have an ending. Put it in a review or PM me to let me know if you want a sequel of not. Thanks

Without further ado...**ENJOY**

* * *

Chapter 16

What We Didn't Notice: Part 1

"Leko Sui, you say," an elderly man at a cash register of an old convenience store pondered. He rubbed at his chin for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, "No, can't say that I've heard of him. Is he local?"

"According to our records, yes, he is," Kurenai answered.

The man shrugged again and shook his head, "Sorry, I never heard of him. And I've been living in this town for seventy-five years. I know everyone around here."

Kurenai sighed prior to turning to look behind her to find her partner questioning an old lady who also worked at the store. He, at the same time, looked over at her and shook his head, stating that he was also having no luck. Kurenai nodded and turned back to face the old man.

"What about the name, Orochimaru? Does that ring any bells?"

The old man stopped to think about the new name given to him. He certainly took a lot longer to think about this name than the last one, Kurenai took notice.

"Hmm," the old man, or according to his nametag, Jin pondered a little longer.

And just when Kurenai thought that this could be their big break, that a lead had finally come, Jin finally answered, but not with the answer she had hoped he'd give her.

"Sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell," he shook his head.

Kurenai sighed, dejectedly, for the thousandth time that morning, before thanking the man for his time.

She then headed for the door, her partner not that far behind.

"Thanks for your time," Genma told the old lady, leaving with Kurenai out the door as they left the convenience store and over towards their car.

They had made it to Sound country three days ago. It was early in the morning when they had arrived and after they had found a small hotel, they split to cover more ground. Of course, they made plans of where to meet if they should come across something…an small diner in the middle of the town…and they had their cell phones should they needed to communicate on occasion, but so far in their investigation they came up with nothing.

They questioned practically the whole town so far and no one has heard of a 'Leko Sui' or an 'Orochimaru' and they were starting to think that this was going to end in another dead end.

"You think Kakashi and Asuma are having better luck than us," Kurenai asked as they drove down a practically empty dirt road to head for the diner. It was almost time for one of their get-together meetings; Kakashi and Asuma were probably already at the diner already considering that their last two interviews with the locals were close by.

"I hope so," Genma sighed.

Kurenai leaned her head back on the passenger's chair to rest and yawned.

"I hope so too," she stated between her yawn, "Wake me when we get into town," she asked.

Genma only nodded his head before he turned on the radio, a slow country song playing as he dubbed it okay to leave it there.

"Me too," he whispered some time later to his partner, but she was already fast asleep.

Kakashi and Asuma were at the diner, sitting at their usual booth, waiting for their other companions to arrive. It had been a long morning, but they finally had a lead. The last place they checked out was the local hospital. It was small, more like an emergency clinic that they happened to come across after their interview with a farmer. He pointed them in the right direction, stating that everything they needed to know should be at the hospital, that they kept a whole bunch of records of people from the early nineteen hundreds to today's birth records. Lucky for them, a woman was the head of the small clinic and with some small _persuasion_, they got the records of one, Leko Sui and who his birth parents were. It was just their luck to hear that the couple still lived in Sound and that something very interesting was printed on the birth record…they just wanted to wait until their friends got here so they could tell them.

"Coffee," Genma shouted as he made his way from the entrance and to the booth his friends were seated at. He chose to sit next to Asuma and have Kurenai sit next to Kakashi.

Just then a waitress, look to be in her middle age, probably in her early forties, walked up to their table and asked for their orders.

"What can I get for ya," she asked with a cigarette between her lips.

"We'll have four coffees and…" Kakashi looked among his friends to see if there was anything else they wanted.

"How much for a slice of your apple pie," Genma questioned.

The waitress turned around to yell at her husband, who happens to be the chef to find out about the price.

"It's a dollar fifty," she told him and Genma agreed to take one to go.

After she left, the group went into their serious mode.

"So how was the investigation so far," Asuma started, speaking to Kurenai and Genma.

"Not so good," Genma answered, "It seems no one knows who Leko or Orochimaru is around here."

Kakashi and Asuma nodded as silence settled among the group.

"But that was how our day went so far, how was yours," Kurenai asked as their coffee finally arrived and she sipped on hers.

"Well, you know the usual. No one knew who we were talking about until we met with a farmer some miles from here. He also didn't know of an Orochimaru, but he told us about the local hospital and how they kept old records," Kakashi explained. He pulled out some stapled papers from his folder he had with him and threw it on the table.

"This is what we found," he finished.

Genma picked it up, "His birth records."

"Yes and the names of his parents who still lives around here. The address is at the bottom, hopefully they still live there, but among there, there is something else that it mentions about Orochimaru."

A short pause.

"He was adopted, shortly after his mother gave birth to him," Genma read off the sheets of paper.

"No way," Kurenai blurted, "Let me see that." She grabbed the papers from Genma's hand and read over the files.

"How come it wasn't in the files we pulled up on him from the FBI," she questioned.

"Don't know," Kakashi answered, "But were going to stop by the adoptive parents' place and ask about Orochimaru's childhood…where he likes to go, who did he hang out with, the usual. Hopefully, we can get a clue to what he was like and, if any, some places that are best to hid six kidnapped kids."

Kurenai and Genma nodded their heads.

"But what are we going to do," Genma asked.

"Go back to the hotel," Asuma answered. "We'll meet back there from the interview and tell you what we found, okay."

"Alright," both Kurenai and Genma agreed.

After finishing their coffees, the group left the diner and went there separate ways, in hopes that this would lead them into something good.

When Kakashi and Asuma arrived at the Mings' household, they were shock at what they saw. The place was surrounded by open fields, beautiful green grass and a forest in the distance behind the house that made the place looked enormous and well treated. The house, itself was huge, a white picket fence surrounded the entrance, a garden of various flowers blossomed around the front yard and rose's vines crept up and around the pouch frame decorating the white house with even more elegance.

To say that both Kakashi and Asuma weren't expecting such a place would have been an understatement. They were shock beyond words that a person, such as Orochimaru, use to live in such a home…they couldn't even picture a small Orochimaru living in such a place, it just didn't fit with the criteria. It looked to be something they would have seen in a nineteen fifty version of a perfect home…something their mothers would have dreamed of living in with the perfect family.

Kakashi and Asuma looked at each other in disbelief as they exit the car and walked along the garden-made path up the small steps and onto the pouch. Just before they were about the knock, the door opened up to reveal a young woman, around the age of twenty. She had long black hair and pale skin, her attire consist of baggy black and white (some gray) camouflage jean pants and a white tank top. She wore bands around her wrists and assortments of rings on all her fingers.

"Can I help you," she asked the two detectives, somewhat rudely.

"Uhm, yeah," Asuma started. "I'm detective Sarutobi and this is my partner detective Hatake. Is this the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ming?"

"Yes. They're my parents," she sounded suspicious, "What is this all about?"

She then seemed to think about something that seemed to click her into a panic mode.

"Look, if this about the boy at Rivers Creek, he jumped on his own, I had nothing to do with that, he was just trying to showoff in front of my friends. I swear to you that he was alive when we left him."

Kakashi and Asuma glanced at the young woman for a moment, really processing what she just told them.

"Uh, no, this is about a family member…uhm, a Leko Sui or Orochimaru."

Shock and fear struck the woman's face as she heard the names; she even seemed to have gone even paler than before.

"You heard of those names," Kakashi asked.

"I…uh, I'm…he's…" she stuttered about trying to find a grasp for words as the initial part of her shock slowly, but surely left her.

She cleared her throat soon afterwards and stared at the two men before her.

"Kin, who's at the door, sweetie," a woman's voice spoke from within the house.

Kin turned just in time to see her mother step up behind her and was now greeting the detectives.

"Hello, who are you," the woman asked, a warm smile reaching her face.

"They're detectives, mother," Kin answered. "And they're looking for Leko."

The smile was quickly dropped from the woman's face, replaced with fear and shock.

"Oh," she finally said, but she said nothing further after that.

"Is it alright if we come in," Asuma asked, "We just want to ask you a few questions."

For a while, the woman just stared the two detectives down, debating if it was a good idea or not, but after a while she agreed to let them in.

They sat in the living room, the husband was informed on why the detectives were there and he, too, showed the initial shock of fear and terror.

After they were given warm tea to ease off some of the tension, more from the family than the detectives, Kakashi started with the questioning.

"So, Leko, how was he growing up?"

The husband and wife looked at each other, before the wife answered.

"He was a…great kid," she seemed nervous. "He did well in school…all his teachers loved him," she finished.

"He was a typical little boy growing up, really, we had no problems with him," the husband added on.

Kakashi noticed their nervousness and their uncomforted in speaking about their son…so he went straight to the point of what he really wanted to know about Orochimaru.

"When did you notice his change in attitude or demeanor?"

In cases, especially with serial killers or the likes, early signs of certain conducts are revealed during childhood…that was one reason why Kakashi was so hooked up on wanting to know what was Orochimaru's childhood life was like.

In doing so, he could gain an insight on what, when, and how Orochimaru's criminal tendencies began. Finding that out could give him a reason for why Orochimaru do the things he does and if anything a place for where all of this had started…the sight of insanity, he always called it.

If one was to find the sight of insanity then one could find everything and that was what Kakashi was aiming for.

Shock once more took over the family faces, Kin however, chose that moment to leave the room and leave out the front door, but other than that, no one said a word.

"Look, we believe…no, we are certain that he is involved with the death of two young boys, one of which was very close and dear to me. Six kids have gone missing, kidnapped, and we believe they are under his clutches," Kakashi informed the couple. "If we don't hurry, one by one, one of those kids will die and Oro…Leko will get away with it untouched and unpunished."

He let that sank in for a while before starting again.

"We just need any insight into his past: where he likes to go, what he likes to do as a kid or teen, anything to help us out."

The couple seem to hesitate, just for a moment, before sighing.

"We didn't notice it until he got to his second year of middle school," the husband offered. "It happened so quickly that by the time we took notice…," he paused to swallow, "It was already too late…"

After the little short version of Orochimaru's life, Kakashi and Asuma were left speechless. Not from the story, itself, but from the things mention that weren't under their reports or finding on Orochimaru. And to say, plain and simple, it left both detectives shaking. The man they were looking for was no human being; he was a monster in wolf's clothing…the devil himself…a destroyer of all things good and innocent.

But Kakashi knew that that wasn't all of it. The couple wasn't telling them everything and it just made the matter worst that there was more things about Orochimaru that not even the man's own adoptive parents could admit to…something horrific and maybe even shameful.

Just what were they hiding?

"Thanks for your time," Kakashi said as he and Asuma left the Ming's front door.

The couple didn't address them with a good-bye; they did however, quickly shut and lock the door once the detectives left, stating just how quickly they wanted the two to leave. What they did wasn't easy for them, both detectives could tell, but it had to be done…children lives were at stake.

"So what do you think they were hiding," Asuma asked.

Kakashi looked over at his friend, "You noticed that too?"

"Yeah, it was kind of obvious with the starting over and restating, but poorly disguising the truth. It takes a real detective to notice those things," was Asuma's answer.

Reaching the car's driver side, Kakashi paused, but not because he was pondering the truth behind the couple secrecy, but because there was a note attached to his window.

"What's this," he spoke out loud, more to his self than anything.

"What's what," Asuma asked, making his way from the passenger side to his partner's.

"It's a note," Kakashi opened the folded piece of paper and read what was inside.

"You want the truth, call me, Kin," and Kakashi goes to read out the number.

"Kin," Asuma ponders, "That's the daughter. What do you think she has to tell us?"

Kakashi stuff the note into his back pocket before unlocking the doors and climbing in, "There's only one way to find out."

When Asuma and Kakashi arrived back into town and at their hotel, it was already night time. They and the rest of their team met up in Kakashi's room to discuss the afternoon event, everything down to the note they received from Kin.

"So you think the girl really knows something," Genma asked, once Kakashi got off the phone with the person mentioned.

"I don't know, but she seemed urgent…she wants to help. Anything she can give us will do nicely and can be really helpful," Kakashi explained.

"I hope so," Kurenai stated.

"When we're meeting her," Asuma asked after a small pause surrounded the group.

"Tonight," Kakashi answered, "I gave her my room number, she should be here shortly."

"Okay then," Kurenai started, "We should get this place clean up and looking a little more decent and organized."

And in looking at the room, they had paperwork among paperwork all over the place; it was Kurenai's way of saying, 'hide the evidence.'

"Yeah, you right."

Twenty minutes of cleaning and waiting, there was a small knock at the door, Kakashi got up to answer it.

Kin was standing at the door, looking fearful and nervous.

"I brought someone with me who may be useful," she stated, "I hope that is alright?"

"Yeah, sure," Kakashi said as he opened his door a little wider for her and the other person to come in.

Closing the door after them, Kakashi introduced everyone and waited for the girl to introduce her companion.

She sat down at the small table in the room and offered the young man to do the same. He had on an oversize hoody with his hands stuff deep within its pockets and his face hidden within the hood, only parts of his face showed, but not enough to identify him.

"This is Juugo," she commenced the young man, "He's one of Leko's victims."

Everyone looked towards the young man in the room, shock and mouth gaping.

"You…were…one of his…victims," Kakashi finally got out after his shock.

Juugo nodded his head, yes, as he took his hands out of the hoody's pockets and remove the hood from over his head.

Everyone, except Kin, gasped. The young man had dirty-blonde hair and a face not of a twenty year old, but of a child, angelic almost. But that wasn't what got everyone gasping, it was the huge burnt mark that scorched over his whole left side of his face that descended down his neck and kept going until it disappeared, hidden, under the oversized, black hoody.

"Yes," Juugo finally spoke, it was raspy and hoarse.

"I was one of his victims," he continued, but paused.

"And I escaped," he started again, "I escape that place with barely an inch of my life."

Chapter 16

Without a Shadow of a Doubt: Part 2

"Have you found our son yet," Mr. Uchiha shouted at the Chief of Konoha Police Department, who was among other parents who were yelling the same questions concerning their sons and daughters.

"Please…please," Tsunade tried calming the parents down, "One at a time, I'm just one person, I can't listen to all of you at once."

"My son has been missing for three weeks," A bowl haircut man started as the rowdy parents settled down some. "The detectives who first took the case told me that it was just a runaway case, and then a week later, I hear that my son was kidnapped. I came hear to find out if it was true and then I hear that other kids may be involved as well. Just what is going on here? I want the truth," he yelled the last part. "We all want the truth."

The parents went into another uproar with questions and wanting answers that Tsunade had to blow a two finger whistle to get them all to shut up.

"Okay," she began," I know that all of you are concern, I would be if I had a child of my own, but the truth of the matter is that, yes, all your children may be kidnapped and that's all I can give you for the safety of the case and the people involved.

"These are our children you're talking about," Mr. Hyuga yelled. "We should be involved."

Another uproar and another two finger whistle to quiet them down.

"Alright, okay, that didn't come out right, but people…you can't just barge into my precinct and demand to know everything, it doesn't work that way," Tsunade stressed.

"I have people on the case right now; they are doing their best at finding your children, but please, give them time and please, be patient."

"Have they found out anything yet," Mrs. Haruno asked.

"No," Tsunade answered.

"Where are the detectives," Mrs. Inuzuka asked next.

"They are investigating."

"Do they know the person responsible," Guy asked.

"Yes and no."

"What," Mr. Uchiha blurted, "What do you mean yes and no? Which one is it?"

"Yes as in they may have a lead on a potential suspect and no as in they are not sure, but look…people, I know…"

"Come on," Mr. Hyuga yelled, "You're telling us that your detectives are looking for someone they, themselves, aren't very sure is the person responsible? How is that helping us and our children?"

"This suspect has shown probable involvement since the case opened, many of our guesses that we have came up with has all pointed to the suspect but their isn't enough evidence to actually pin the suspect to everything," Tsunade answered to the best of her abilities.

"So you're guessing and hoping that something comes up," Mr. Uchiha asked. "Just what kind of police department is this?"

"A damn good one…and the one and only police department that actually care enough to look for your children as we speak."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, her patient was running thin and the constant questioning were giving her a much bigger headache.

A hum silence filled the room as the parents whispered among them selves.

"So…"a quiet Mrs. Uchiha started, "Who is the suspect?"

"I can't give out that information," was Tsunade's answer.

"Do they have any leads to the location of where our children may be held?"

"None at the moment, but we are working on that."

"What can you give us that can, at least, give us some form of hope that our children will be found," Mr. Inuzuka asked, his wife starting to cry on his shoulders.

"I can't give you hope more than what I am capable of giving. The truth is…I'm not sure how this case will end, but I do know that I got some amazing detectives out there who really cares," she paused to think about her own speech.

"These detectives founded this case, they pieced everything together and found out that your children were connected and in doing so, they are more than determined to solve this case and bring your children home, safely. I won't give them any shadow of a doubt that they won't succeed because I believe that they will succeed and I hope you will believe in that as well."

Silence…silence was her answer as the parents pondered her request and as she looked at their faces and saw only concern, she began to doubt her own words, but just for a moment.

She just hope she was right about this…she hope her detective will succeed and bring those kids home safely.

Chapter 16

A New Reason to Care: Part 3

They lied in their room, starving and in pain. The aches of hunger was making themselves known after not eating for three days…not because they chose not to eat, but because they haven't received any food since they were reunited… and the thoughts of dying of starvation was prominent on each of their minds, they just didn't want to believe it.

"We're going to die aren't we," Sakura asked. She was curled up on herself on her bed staring at nothing but white padded walls. Her friends were doing the same…trying to ignore the slowly possibility of what their fate had in store for them at the moment, but the intense pain only reminded them.

"It's obvious isn't it," she continued when no one answered her. "He's doing this to us for a reason, right? He's trying to kill us…right?"

She began to cry and still, no one answered her pleading questions as they just didn't have the energy nor did they have the acceptance to hear such insinuation. They were in pain for crying out loud, they didn't need to be thinking of such things.

The room stayed quiet after that, when Sakura stopped her soft crying and the room was hushed once more, except for their muffled whimpers of pain.

Outside, the beginning of a storm was brewing. Distant thunder rumbled in the air and sounded deaden from their place in the building, lightning flashed, illuminated the room with some form of life before disappearing and leaving the room in deadly darkness again…and again.

It was just when the rain began to pour did Sakura began again.

"I don't want to die," she claimed. "Not like this…in this way."

"Sakura," Lee started, but didn't finish because he didn't have anything to say…but he knew he just wanted her to stop. She shouldn't talk like that…like it was the end.

"You shouldn't say such things, Sakura," Hinata suggested moments later. Her voice was soft and barely heard over the slowly growing storm outside.

"Just what am I suppose to think then, Hinata," Sakura yelled. "We're slowly dying and…and…"

"It's going to be alright," Naruto softly spoke. "We just have to…"

"It's not going to be alright," she yelled even louder, "This isn't going to be alright, so don't say things so hopeless."

Silence and thunder rumbled on outside as lightning flashed, illuminating the room once more.

Nobody wanted to hear it…the thoughts of dying. They were tired, aching, and…well, just tired of all of it, the tortures, the mind games. They didn't need the crying, but some just didn't know how to deal, some cope differently than others…and some…just didn't want to hear it.

"We're not going to die, Sakura," Naruto said, trying to encourage as he sat up in bed with the best of his strength. "Someone is going to find us in time, and when they do…"

"Who Naruto," Kiba finally spoke. He was listening and he was growing angrier with every spoken word, it was just a final snap when Naruto started to talk about someone going to save them…to him, it was an impossible outcome.

"Who is going to save us," he asked Naruto again.

Naruto stared at Kiba as he watch the dark-headed teen sit up in bed.

"I-I don't know…someone…," Naruto tried explaining.

"Because the way I see it, no ones coming. No one knows that we're here, we can't escape to get help, we can't out smart the guy," Kiba shook his head. "We can't do anything, so how can anyone else do anything to save us?"

Kiba then lied back down and turned his back to the group and to Naruto's stunned eyes.

For a moment, Naruto looked down at his hands, they were shaking and he was scared. But he couldn't believe that no one was not coming for them.

"Someone could be out there looking for us," he started again. "Someone could know something weird is happening here," he looked around the room at every ones' faces.

They appeared…defeated.

"WE CAN"T JUST GIVE UP," he yelled.

His pleading eyes looked towards Sasuke for help or for some structure of assurance, but Sasuke's back was towards him, towards the whole group, the same as Kiba.

Naruto started to cry, "We can't…just…give up."

He then collapsed face first onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow and slamming his fist into the side of the cushion as he cried harder.

"We can't just give up," was his muffled cry as he said it over and over,

And again, it stayed like that until everyone fell asleep with exhaustion…well, not everyone.

Sasuke was up, he couldn't sleep and what everyone was saying kept ringing in his head.

He didn't want to die. He didn't want an ending such as this and a…

Suddenly, a pain risen within his chest, it constricted passed his lungs and over his heart, squeezing it with a excruciating hold. Soon, his lungs were doing the same thing and it made it harder for him to breathe…it made him want to cry, but he hadn't done that in a long time…he thinks…he thinks he has forgotten how to cry.

"Sasuke," he heard Naruto's voice and the pain went away. "Sasuke, are you up?"

Sasuke turned over on his back and stared up at the ceiling, but he didn't say anything.

Naruto slowly climbed in the bed with him, just at the foot of the bed, his back up against the wall, and stared up at the ceiling as well.

"I have no one," Naruto spoke, softly, after a long silence. Sasuke peered down at him, confused by the statement.

"Before I was taken, I lived in an orphanage. Everyone hated me because I use to play pranks on everyone and I would always get everyone in trouble with extra chores." He smiled at his memories, a sad smile.

"I was sick that day," he looked over at Sasuke. "When I was taken, everyone left to go to the fair."

Naruto then looked down at his hands, watching them tremble…Sasuke took notice of this just before Naruto tried to hide them by balling them into fists and crossing his arms over his knees that were drawn up to his chest.

"No one stayed to take care of me, not even the person over the orphanage," he continued. "I-I…I was so lonely because no one cared," he buried his face over his crossed arms, his shoulders shaking as he began to cry again.

And suddenly, so quickly that it scared Sasuke, Naruto's head shot up from over his arms, tears pouring down his face as he stared at Sasuke, soulfully.

"I-If I die…no one will care…I have no one who cares for me."

The pain came back, much severe and as deeply than the first , making Sasuke's throat form boulder size lumps, lumps that were hard to swallow around to get rid of.

Not in a long time has he felt this pain before…loneliness…he could compare, he could imagine the thoughts and the suffering Naruto was going through right now…it was terrifying. His parents weren't around most of the time after his brother had died, and when they were around they didn't spend it with him. They didn't care how he felt…about how they left him all by himself to fend for himself with such pain. And many nights, he had cried himself to sleep, in a cold room, in an empty home.

He now knows about Naruto's loneliness, they were the same, they had no one who cared for them.

So, with this realization, Sasuke sat up and hugged Naruto…because Naruto needed it…and…and because he needed it.

Naruto cried himself to sleep on Sasuke's shoulder, but Sasuke didn't let him go, he held him close and tight…safe.

He found his mind taking him to a place when he was younger and with his brother. They were everything to each other…what happened?

Sasuke ran through his memories and contemplated everything.

Why would his brother kill himself…he didn't understand.

Why would he…give up on life?

That was it, his brother gave up, and chose to just throw his life away and not care what he left behind…it made Sasuke angry.

He will not be like his brother…he will not give up.

He looked down at Naruto whose dried teary face looked peaceful, even with all the bruises.

"I won't give up," he whispered, hugging Naruto closer. "I care; I won't give up on you."

He fell asleep like that, with Naruto in his arms, but when he wake up…Naruto was gone, missing from his grasp and taken away.

That afternoon, he was taken, alone, away from the others and was put inside the box again, the clock ticking and the words of the man who had put him there echoing in his head.

_Say good-bye to your precious friend, because tomorrow night, he will die._

_

* * *

_

**AN: **Man, I'm a sucker for the touchy-feely type of writing...I guess it's the intense emotions that can be written in those scenes...I try.

How was it? I tried not to put too much talking in it but I couldn't help it. This was just a small part and ian ntroduction of Orochimaru's life, the next chapter will go into more indept and answer the question..."Why Orochimaru chose the kids and his purpose."

Also, a person once asked me if breaking them was really important... I told her no, not really...I lied, they are, sorry but I wasn't really thinking straight that day, but the breaking of their spirits were important...sorry.

Anyway, I hoped you guys liked it and is still interested in it. Remember review and let me know if you're still here with me. Pretty Please, thanks.


	18. Chapter 17

**AN**: I'm not going to be long but here's Chapter 17. It explains everything so far that has been mentioned as clues or hints in the story...even the big question on why Orochimaru want these kids. 

I want to thank everyone who reviewed and if I hadn't replied back to you, sorry but they were all appreciated.

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 17

The Pained and the Lonely: Part 1

How could he put this…?

The devil didn't make him do it.

There weren't any voices in his head telling him to murder people.

And it certainly wasn't his upbringing…how he was raised…that played a factor.

No, those were just inconsiderate implications many would want to blame on a serial killer. 

Orochimaru was different, he was more rational and calculating.

If he was to describe his self, he would most likely say that he was charming, handsome, that's a plus, and intelligent.

But if one were to ask anyone who knew him…more like feared him…they would say that he was impulsive, manipulative, a liar, irresponsible, he lacks remorse, he was callous, and he had a grandiose sense of self-worth that many saw as annoying, but they wouldn't openly say that to Orochimaru's face. He would most likely do something horrific to them and not care.

He was typically feared that way.

But Orochimaru like playing roles. He like pretending being a charming man who dress to impress and being a polite gentleman. It was a game to him and his dull life was prone to boredom, so he mimic emotions to blend in, appear intelligent, glib, and socially skilled so no one would ever think that he…a well reserve man…could ever do such harmful things in the world.

If only they knew…

Don't get him wrong, he knew that many things that he has done, did, or was going to do were wrong, but did he care…no. 

It wasn't his fault that he like the sadistic, more chilling things in life…once again, he was prone to boredom and many things get old real fast. Needing something to perk up his interest, he chose the best thing there was…killing.

And not necessarily killing, that wasn't the best choice of words, but a frustration release, a goal, a power…a dominance over the weak.

Man, did he hated weak people.

And the ones he saw as the weakest were the pained and the lonely.

He detest them with a passion.

---

_**Naruto Uzumaki**_

_When he was young, he watched the paramedics carry his parents' bodies on stretchers one tragic night. He was crying; there had been a train accident and many had lose their lives…he was just one of the many who had survived._

_No one knew how it happened, the train just lost control and it flipped off its rails, plunging down a slope hill and ending at the dip that finished the hill and began a scarce forest at the bottom._

_Naruto was only eight when that happened, soon after, he was living in an orphanage. _

_It was hard and it took a while for him to come to terms with his parents' death, but he moved on…he thinks._

_At the orphanage, he was labeled a nuisance, but he only acted out for attention. Being at the place for four years and has yet to be adopted was kind of sad, but what was even heartbreaking was having no friends at all._

_He was lonely all the time. No one gave him the time of day and all he ever wanted was love…to gain that feeling back._

_Was there any of that left for him…would he ever be loved by anyone?_

_Many nights he cried his self to sleep with the thought that no one cared._

_He was to be lonely forever._

_**Kiba Inuzuka**_

_He was once again in the principal's office for bullying another student. He didn't think it would be so bad, he was just playing around, but the kid had to go and cry to a teacher, that's what got him in trouble._

_All the teachers knew him, either from his clowning around in the classrooms or his constant bullying of younger students, so he didn't cringe when the teacher glared and ordered him to go see the principal. _

_He was use to it._

_There, he waited until his parents showed up and had a long talking to with the headmaster._

_His parents defended him, told the principal of the school that he was just a little boy who knew no better. The conversation ended soon after when the principal insulted his parents' parenting skills. That day, he promised to never get into trouble again._

_But breaking old habits were easier said than done. His disruption cost him a week suspension, one that got his parents doubting him when he made the promise again._

_They looked at him with question, then doubt, and lastly, shame._

_It was a rube awakening for Kiba . Since the week off from school and when he started back, he didn't fall back on his antics again._

_But the damage was done and his parents never looked at him with trust and understanding anymore. _

_They might have but all Kiba saw was shame._

_And it pained him to think that it was all his fault._

_His burden that could never be undone. _

_And it hurts…it hurts real bad._

_**Sakura Haruno**_

_Sakura has always been a good girl. She was polite to her elders and she was a daddy's girl._

_She could admit that she was spoiled growing up, her parents gave her everything she ever wanted, but she grew out of it. Being smart also helped with wanting to be independent so she rarely dependent on them quite as often._

_They had a happy home, they were a happy family, but things change…people change and Sakura soon found herself in the middle of a bad divorce._

_It was emotional, both her parents said a lot of things to each other that were both hurtful and inappropriate. Sakura didn't know how it all started, but the next thing she knew was that her parents were fighting a lot…some even about her._

_You can't give her what she wants._

_She don't love you like she loves me._

_You can't have her…I'm taking her._

_Over my dead body._

_Sakura didn't understand why, but she blamed herself…not knowing the real factor behind the divorce, that maybe her parents just grew tired of each other._

_It happens, but Sakura didn't see it that way._

_Somehow, it was all her fault…_

_Maybe if she didn't ask for too much than maybe her parents wouldn't fight so much._

_Maybe if she had spent more time with them than maybe her parents wouldn't be blaming who she loves the most._

_Maybe…just maybe…if she wasn't so spoil than they would be much happier._

_What was she to do, there was no love in this house anymore…only anger and regrets._

_She wants a happy family again…not this one…_

_Not this one at all._

_**Hinata Hyuga**_

_She watched as her father pack his suitcase for another business meeting across the continent. He often goes on these trips one after another one and this time, it was no different._

_Packing the last item into a smaller bag, he slung that one onto his shoulder and rolled the larger one beside him._

_Seeing this, Hinata quickly wrapped her small arms around his waist…not wanting him to go…not wanting him to leave her again._

_He paused in his movement, Hinata hearing him sigh heavily before he placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. He slowly eased her off from around him and gave her a small smile to not to worry._

_Hinata only cried as he walked out the door, got into his car, and pulled out of the drive way. Once again leaving her in a home so empty, it hurts. _

_Of course she had the maids and whatnot to watch over her, but it wasn't the same. If her mother was still alive than maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but she wasn't and Hinata continue to believe that it wouldn't get any better than this._

_She was use to it, don't get her wrong, but she often find it hard to deal with it when her birthday was only a day away and her father wouldn't be there to celebrate it. Or when her school had a father and daughter dance and her father wasn't there to share the moment with her._

_She often hated it when one of the butlers ask if she wanted him to be there for the dance or for whatever event there was that required a participating parent. She finds that it's not the same and it would feel so much worst than it would have with her real father._

_But life went on like that for most of her life now. _

_She never really voiced it to her father, but deep down, she knew he knew what she was feeling, but he chose to ignore it or not dwell on it to much. From what she had heard growing up, he had change since her mother died giving birth to her. He was always distant and with her resembling so much of her mother, it was hard for him to stay home…because it hurts so much. At least that what one of the maids had told her, trying to cheer her up and to make her understand._

_But all the same, she was lonely._

_Hurting and lonely._

_**Rock Lee**_

_He had woken up late one night to relieve himself of a heavy bladder. It was only across the hall from his bedroom and being half sleep, it wouldn't take him long, but he had heard something in the kitchen._

_The sound of paper being shuffled and a man's heavily sighing._

_He recognized it as his father, but he wasn't expecting him to be home until later on tonight. He had remembered his father's work schedule…so he wondered why he was home so earlier._

_Forgetting about his bladder, Lee walked the short distance from his room to the kitchen. He stopped at the corner of the hallway and peeked around it to see his father sitting in one of the chairs at the table, going through some paperwork and bills._

_His face appeared to be in despair and as Lee watch him write out a check for one of his bills, Lee figured out why._

_As a single parent, Lee's father had a hard time supporting the both of them. Apparently, not too many workplaces hired high school drop-outs and if his father _was _hired, it was mainly small jobs that didn't pay enough, leaving them to struggle with overdue bills and looking for better jobs._

_The only problem was that Lee father didn't believe his son should work while in school, not even to baby-sit their neighbor's kids or as a paperboy. After his mistake of dropping-out of school, he strongly believe that education should come first, and he wanted the best for Lee…he wanted him to have more opportunities than what he had bestowed upon himself. Even as they struggle, he refuse to have Lee work._

_And Lee was grateful, really, he was, but the looks on his father's face every time he saw how high the bills were or if he lost his job for unknown reasons after reasons…Guy wouldn't tell him…Lee couldn't help but feel he was a burden._

_His father was tired all the time and all Lee could do was watch and blame no one but himself._

_He knew his parents married young and, before then, he was born. His mother left no sooner than three months after the marriage, leaving a young, just turned eighteen, Guy to take care of their son…alone. He also knew that his grandparents must have disowned his father because they never talked about them…they never visit nor have they called…so they had no family support whatsoever. _

_And it kills him to see his father suffering and knowing that their was nothing he could do._

_Nothing…_

_**Sasuke Uchiha (The security guard's P.O.V)**_

_Every night, the security guard watch the boy enter the compound with his head down, sometimes in anger, sometimes in sadness, but he would always greet the boy whether the boy responded back or not._

_He was always watching the boy and he felt that he was becoming attach and that wasn't allowed…at least how Orochimaru had explained it._

_Since the beginning, since he was pulled into Orochimaru's little group, into his manipulative enticing, he's been following the boy. And by now he knew everything about the boy and gave whatever he had learned about the boy back to Orochimaru who would then scheme up a plan for the boy's kidnapping._

_It was terrible and it was wrong…_

_And he didn't like it. _

_It could either been because he knew what and why Orochimaru wanted these kids, and he couldn't fathom the reason why Orochimaru wanted to hurt them, or it could have been that guilt was taking its toll on him and he was ashamed of everything he had done for the evil man._

_To try to right the wrong, and on many occasions, he tried deterring from Orochimaru's pull, he even tried contacting the police some years ago about Orochimaru's doing, but nothing fell through, Orochimaru made sure of it._

_So he tried ignoring it. But as he kept watching the boy and feeling the pain of guilt build inside of him that became more pronounce and painful, he continued to defy from Orochimaru more and more until he couldn't take it anymore._

"_I'm not doing it anymore," he told Orochimaru one day, scared and afraid as he kept his attention downcast and away from the man's calculating eyes._

"_Oh," Orochimaru had questioned, sounding not surprised but bothered by the confession non the less._

"_These kids…what you are doing…I-I can't go on. It's wrong and…a-and hadn't they suffered enough already." _

_Orochimaru didn't answer him, just silence did…just silence._

_That happened three days before the boy was ordered to be kidnapped. He was murdered the same day, but he wasn't going to deny that he didn't see it coming. In fact, he was glad that it happened…because then he wouldn't have to see the boy's tormented face anymore, he wouldn't have to deal with the pain and suffering that he was going through, and mostly, he didn't have to face the guilt that he led Orochimaru to another person to their deathbed. _

_He was glad…the pain was gone and he was glad._

_---_

The pained and the lonely

Yes, Orochimaru hated them with a passion. How they carried themselves, how they acted, and certainly the whole reason why they felt the way they did.

He didn't understand it for one thing and quite frankly he didn't want to.

But all he knew was that they had to go 

They were weak.

And when he had them in his clutches…god, did it felt good to torment them, to break them until they begged for mercy or better yet, when they ask him to just kill them.

And it was even more thrilling when he gets one that would try to fight him, try to last a little longer, but in the end, the outcome would always be the same.

Survival of the fittest was and has always been his motto and if he had to prove it by killing every weak person in this world ,he would…it was his nature, his common worth…his goal…his way of power and dominance.

His thrill in life.

Chapter 17

Trapped and then Escaped: Part 2

He was struggling, he knew, but being in the box and trying to calm himself down was proving to be complicated. The thin metal that he held tightly within his grasp, trembled with his hands as he searched through the darkness for the screw he felt earlier. He had already release one screw from the hinge that sealed the box shut and now he was working on the second one…there were three in total…but his panicking was making everything blurry and it made it difficult for him to concentrate.

He could hear the ticking and he could see the hole recoiling and it would set his escape attempt on hold for a while, until he got a hold of his self and focused his bearing. However, every time he was at his moment of relief, the attacks would start over again and sometimes with full intensity. 

It was making him so frustrated.

_Clank_

"D-Damn it," he shakily whined. He has dropped the piece of metal again.

Believe it or not, it was his only grip to reality. Without it…without something to bear down on, to bring pain…he would've been losing it a lot sooner if not going crazy by now. He could focus his attention on the sharpness of the metal and be blinded, at least a little dull to everything else that surrounded him, including the noise and the smallness of the box. It was how he noticed the screws and realize that it was those that held the box close…it certainly was what held the bottom latch connected to the top one, both of which were held together by a lock. 

If he got the bottom one to release, than all he had to do was push and the door would open.

But he needed to think on taking one step at a time, that's all he should think on or he could risk going crazy again.

"C-Come on, w-where is it."

His elbow hit the top of the box and then the back as he searched for the thin metal. After a while he was finally able to maneuver his arm to bring his hand to the bottom of the box and grasp the metal. And he held on tight as he brought it back to the loosening screw and began to twist it free.

Seconds later, the second screw dropped, hitting his right arm and rolling to the box's floor. The sound bounced off the small walls, making Sasuke cringe as the noise seem to sound like an explosion had gone off.

He paused for a moment to calm himself. 

"Only one more…a-and then…" He stops to swallow. "…I'll b-be free," he assured himself before lift his hand and metal towards the last and final screw.

He don't know how long he's been in the box, all he knew was that he needed to hurry if what the man had told him was true.

What this could only mean if he doesn't make it in time.

----

_Sasuke woke feeling immediately empty and scared. Even then…before he knew Naruto was missing, before he even opened his eyes…he knew that it was the empty space beside him that made him aware of the feeling._

_He sat straight in his bed and looked around the room._

"_Naruto," he called out, but no one answered._

_He rubbed at his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them before he peered around the room again. There was no blonde in sight and as he saw that all the other beds were filled, all for the exception of one, he began to panic._

"_Naruto," he called out again, jumping out of his bed and down on the floor to search under his bed. He don't know why but he was hoping that Naruto might have slept under there._

_When he found that spot empty, he called out Naruto's name again, waking the other occupants while doing so._

"_What's going on," Kiba groggily asked as he sat up in bed._

"_Have you seen Naruto," Sasuke asked him, sounding anxious as he continued to search the room._

_Kiba woke fully from that, he looked around and saw that, indeed, Naruto was not in the room. "Where is he," he asked, still a little sleepy._

"_I don't know," Sasuke almost yelled, almost cried. He couldn't find him anywhere, and…and the thought of him not knowing where he was at was starting to make itself known. His heart was racing and he was beginning to shake with fear._

"_Maybe he went through the hole again," Sakura suggested, mentioning about the loose padded square that gave way to the vents of the building._

_Sasuke quickly ran over towards the loose wall and saw that the loose section hadn't been removed, it hadn't even been tampered with._

"_No," Sasuke yelled._

"_C-Calm down, Sasuke," Hinata jumped in, getting off her bed to walk over beside him. "Maybe he n-needed to use the bathroom and called for someone t-to take him. He just didn't want to wake you up."_

_He was only becoming more worried as he shook his head and turned to face the small girl that stood next to him. "No, they always take two at a time, and it's too early," he explained. "And usually if they take just one of us, it means that…" he stopped suddenly, his heart, at the same time, jumped and slammed powerfully in his chest._

_He gasped and ran straight towards the locked door and pound on it._

"_**Open the door**__," he yelled. He kicked and pulled at the handle but nothing happened._

"_**Open the goddamn door**__," his voice screeched. "__**If you hurt him I swear I'll kill you…I'll kill you all**__." _

"_Sasuke," he heard Lee's voice but he continued with his violent actions towards and on the door as he pounded on it even harder. _

"_Calm down," he was pulled from the door by both males in the room. They wrestled and pinned him to the floor, he struggled the whole time until it was his own crying that ceased all his movements._

"_Something's wrong," he cried, turning his head so they wouldn't see how terrible he looked and felt._

_And something was defiantly wrong because he could feel it, he knew that somewhere Naruto was hurting and he needed him. But he was inside here and crying, trapped and locked inside a room and probably far from where Naruto was now. And the only thing he could think about was how come he didn't feel or hear when Naruto was taken…he could have prevented it somehow…protected him._

_And that's what made it so scary, he couldn't protect Naruto not knowing where or when he was taken, not having him in his arms to know that he was alright._

_Suddenly their door was slammed open and a man stood before the group that was huddled on the floor._

_It only took one look from the man and Sasuke was hysterical again._

"_**Where is he**__," he yelled._

_The man smirked, "So it was you who was making all that ruckus."_

_Sasuke broke free from his friends' hold and ran blindly towards the man._

_The man was expecting the action and before Sasuke knew what happened, he was doubling over with a fist striking him right in the middle of his stomach. He had fell over, hitting the floor hard and limply._

_He was then pulled out of the doorway and into the hallway, hearing the door to his room being closed behind him._

_The man picked him up by the shirt collar, practically strangling Sasuke while he dragged him out of the hallway and into another one that led upstairs._

_When Sasuke foot hit the first step that's when he tried swinging at the man with his own fist. _

_He got the man in the jaw and was released. Sasuke ran up the stairs, through an open door, and into a chest that was waiting at the other side of the door. It knock Sasuke backwards and into another chest, into the one that took him out of the room and who he had hit earlier._

_Apparently, they were expecting him to try and escape and they came prepared._

_He was pushed to the floor on his hands and knees, where a knee came up and punched him in the face, he was then forced onto his back where the two men repeatedly kicked him in the sides until he was coughing up blood and was bleeding from the nose from where he was knee-punched._

_They then dragged him by the legs and into another hallway filled with loose boards and fallen metal from old door hinges. The debris stabbed him in the back, digging scratches and tears into his skin and making old wounds reopen._

_But the thing about this hallway was that it was familiar and Sasuke knew where it was leading to._

"_No," he struggled by trying to kick his legs free. The men only laughed and held his legs tighter._

_Sasuke started grabbing at anything he could get his hands on…boards, door edges, metal pieces._

_But in the end, his struggling was futile. _

_They lifted and pushed him into the box, Sasuke struggling with them the whole time, but before the lid was close, one of the men had one thing to say:_

"_Say good-bye to your precious friend, because tomorrow night, he dies." _

_And the last thing Sasuke saw was darkness, but he held onto the metal piece he grabbed onto when he was being dragged. He squeezed on it tight, feeling it break skin and go in deeper._

"_Please, don't let it be true…don't let it be true."_

_----_

_Clank _

The last and final screw fell to the bottom and Sasuke let out an alleviating breath that he held the entire time since he started on the third screw.

Not wanting to last much longer in the box, he pushed on the top and watch with elation as the box came open and he was free.

He climbed heavily out of the box, his limbs stiff and aching with being restricted in such a small confinement. And when he made it on the floor, he just laid supine on his back for a moment to catch his breath. 

The dread of being in the box was slowly leaving him and when he was whole again, the first thing he did was inspect the room, the door was left opened, that was the first thing he noticed…the second was that there was a small cylinder shape of metal in the corner of the room that he indicated that could come in handy. It was long, good enough for him to carry and lengthy enough from him to control and strike at a distant when he would swing it.

He could protect himself.

Checking his bruised hand, he notice that it was cut all over, and it stung almost insufferably, but he quickly ignored it and got up to pick up the stick-like metal.

Weighing it in his hand, he established that it was very useful.

Peering up at the open door, he took a deep breath before heading towards it.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm coming for you," he stated resolutely.

And as he left out of the room with determination on his face…he knew that time was of the essence.

It was now or never, but either way, someone was going to pay…painfully.

* * *

AN: How was it? I was really proud of the outcome of it and I hope you all weren't confused by it. If you were, you could always PM me and I'll explain it to you more indepth.

I also want to give credit to the two sites I used in helping me describe a serial killer and psychopath...they were CrimeLibrary and Wikipedia. They really came in handy.

Please, review and let me know what you thought. Thank You.


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